With Arms Wide Open: Book One
by MacKenzie Creations
Summary: Angel did not loose his Soul in Surprise and Innocence. Focus on B/A, but has the whole gang.
1. Chapter 1

With Arms Wide Open

**Disclaimers:** Any character that you recognize does not belong to me, but belong to Joss Wheadon, Mutant Enemy, and who ever else owns Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel the Series.

**Rating:** Same as show in most places, NC-17 (written by Tani) places are clearly marked and can be skipped and everything will still make since.

**WARNINGS:** In my season 3 rewrite, there will be rape (not NC-17 graphic) and graphic torture. While the season 3 rewrite deals with other stuff, it mainly deals with the rape and the after effects of it. The only reason Season 3 is mentioned at all is because of this. I had a real hard time with Season 3 and skipped a lot of it. Therefore, the rewrite of season 3 is short and is written more as an epilogue or summery. If this bothers you, you really don't have to read the part about the rape to fully understand what is going on. It will be mentioned later, but I think in the context that it is mentioned you will understand it without having read it. I will clearly mark the parts about the rape so you can skip them. Chapter 1 has 4,448 words or 13 pages long in MSWord with out the disclaimers and Author Notes. The Disclaimers and Author Notes alone have 843 words or 3 pages in MSWord.

**Characters:** mainly Buffy/Angel But the other characters are also in this.

**Distribution:** Any message boards that I post this on may archive it, Any mailing lists that I post this on may archive it, and if anyone else wants it, I'd be honored, just let me know where it is, so that I can book mark your site.

**Author's Notes: **There are some parts where I took right from a transcript of one or more of the episodes. These are clearly marked in /red/. Also the title comes from a song by Creed. Although the subject of the story is different from the subject of the song, the title fit Angel's feelings in this story. And I would like to say Thanks to Ducks. Her Something Old series is where I first I read about Buffy and Angel talking to each other telepathically so that idea came from her and she gave me permission to use it. Thanks, Ducks! Thanks to Tani who has written some of the NC-17 scenes and has helped (taught me) to write some of them. Also Tani has helped with the general plot. Letting me know when something made more since than others and coming up with some names for demons and such for me. Thanks Tani!

**Thanks and Betas:** Thank you to my betas who have helped me out My betas are Katie, Robyn, and Karen Any typos, grammar mistakes, or characterization errors are mine . A special thank you to Jewels who thought up this Challenge which gave me a starting place. A very special thank you to Tani who wrote some of the NC-17 scenes and who is teaching me how to write them.

**Summery:** Based on a Challenge by Jewles. Here is the challenge. Not all requirements are in Chapter 1 but they are all in the Season 2 rewrite.

* * *

After Surprise Challenge By Jewles

I want a story about what would have happened the morning and next few days or even weeks after Buffy and Angel's first time if there had been no curse.

Also including:

-Buffy not wanting to go to school , but Angel 'convincing' her to go

-Buffy wearing angel's clothes to school the next morning to school

-Buffy and Angel getting caught in a compromising position in the book  
stacks

-A night at the Bronze

-Xander barging in on Buffy and Angel

-A pool table

-A game of Truth or Dare (Note by Mac: I know the Truth or Dare Game is lame, but hey it's been 15 years or so since I've played and I was never any good at coming up with the questions or dares.)

-Buffy spending more than that one night at Angel's

-Angel showing up at Buffy's school, during the day

-Total Buffy and Angel Happiness

* * *

**Feedback: **Please send feedback to (without the spaces) or click the button at the bottom of the page and leave feeedback that way.

* * *

_**Book 1: New Beginnings **_

_**A rewrite of BTVS Season 2 from Innocence to Becoming Part 2**_

_**Author's Note: Some of this chapter is a direct quote from the transcript Innocence (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer Season 2 episode 14) written by Joss Whedon himself. To make the Transcript fit into this universe, I had to change some of the dialogue. The parts that are in red, are from the transcript that Joss Whedon wrote that was transcribed by **__**AleXander Thompson**__** Transcript Provided By **__**twiztv.**__**com Copyright © 1998 Alexander Thompson and checked by the script that was an extra on the BtVS Season Two DVD Boxed Set for the episode Innocence. That is once I found it on the DVD. LOL When I started this story I didn't know that it was on there! The spelling of magic as majick is from the script that was on the DVD. It's how Joss spelled it so it's how I'm spelling it.**_

Irish Gaelic Translations _email me for the link to the English to Gaelic dictionary that I used. This site won't let me post it._

**Muirnín **definition... beloved m4; n darling m4; n sweetheart m4

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

As Buffy drifted into consciousness, she noticed a hard, cool body that seemed to be half next to her and half under her. She also felt the cool arms wrapped firmly around her waist that held her to said body. Before opening her eyes, while still in between sleep and consciousness, she panicky thought _Oh, God,_ and then the events of the night before came back to her. She and Angel were almost killed by a fully assembled Judge. When they were escaping from The Judge, they were caught in the rain. After they got to the safety of Angel's apartment, they made love several times before drifting off to sleep. Buffy smiled and pleasantly thought, _Oh, God_. Did she dare to open her eyes only to find out making love to Angel was just a wonderful dream? She never knew that her body could feel such pleasures. She took a chance and opened her eyes to find Angel looking down at her.

Buffy smiled when Angel greeted her with "Morning, Muirnín."

"Morning," Then she asked, "How long have you been awake?"

"Just a few minutes. I didn't want to wake you."

"You didn't," Buffy smiled.

Angel leaned down to kissed her. After a very passionate good morning kiss, she glanced over at the clock and to see that it was 5 A.M. Normally she got up at 6:30 to get ready for school. _Well, I have an hour and a half before I have to get ready to go to school._ "I really don't want to go to school."

"You need to go. School's important."

"I know. I just wish I could stay here in your arms all day. I could definitely get used to this – waking up in your arms."

Angel smiled, "I know, I could get used to waking up with you in my arms."

"I hate to say this but, I think I better get home before my mom wakes up and notices that I'm not home."She sadly said, not really making any effort to leave the safety of his arms or his bed.

Angel gave her another passionate kiss. "Before you go, let me give you something to think of while you're gone." He kissed her again, this time the kiss led to a repeat performance of the night before.

* * *

Needless to say Buffy did not make it back to her house to get ready for school. After a shower, Buffy checked out the clock again and saw that it was now 7:30. "Oh, no! I'm late; I've got thirty minutes to be at school. I don't have time to go home and my shirt is still damp." Buffy complained, then smiled and said, "Guess that means that I have to stay here."

"You're not getting out of going to school. Here you can wear this," Angel said handing her one of his silk shirts.

"Thanks," Buffy sarcastically said as she finished getting dressed. "I wish I could stay," Buffy sadly stated while in Angel's embrace.

Angel smiled and gave her a chaste kiss on her lips. "I know. I wish you could stay, too. But you need to go to school. Besides, you need to report to Giles about The Judge."

Buffy's eyes went wide, "Oh gosh! We forgot to check in with them. I'd better jet."

* * *

/Buffy walked into the library. "Buffy!" Willow exclaimed.

"We were just going to rescue you," Xander explained.

Willow threw Giles a look, "Well, some of us were."

"Well, I-I would have," Giles stammered.

Jenny asked, "Where's Angel?"/

Buffy looked around the room, held back a smile as the memories of the previous night and that morning at Angel's apartment came flooding back, and said, "He's at his apartment."

/Cordelia, who was sitting on the counter, slid off the counter and asked, "What happened?"

"The Judge, i-is he..." Giles inquired.

"No assembly required. He's active."/ Buffy worriedly informed her Watcher, as she looked into his eyes.

/"Oh, damn it." Giles whispered as he removed his glasses.

"He nearly killed us. Angel got us out,"/ she glanced around the room, hoping that no one would ask her something that would force her to tell what had happened between her and Angel.

/"Why didn't you call? We, we, we thought..."/ Giles couldn't even say what he had thought. He didn't want to think it anymore. Just the thought of loosing his Slayer was painful enough.

/"Well, we, we had to hide. Uh, we got stuck in the sewer tunnels, and with the hiding, we went back to his apartment and fell asleep." _God, I hope he doesn't ask about the sleeping arrangements last night, _she thought as she looked down and then back up glancing around the room not meeting anyone in the eye.

Willow noticed that Buffy was wearing one of Angel's shirts and suspected that Buffy was leaving something out, but knew that this wasn't the time to bring it up.

/"Buffy, The Judge, we, we must stop him." Giles stated.

"I know."

"What can you tell us?" Giles inquired.

"Not much. I, um... I kicked him. It was just like a sudden fever. If he'd got his hands on me..."

"In time, he won't need to. The stronger he gets, he'll be able to reduce us to charcoal with a look." Giles solemnly said.

"Also, not the prettiest man in town."

"I'll just have to keep researching, look for a weak spot. The rest of you should get to your classes." Giles declared.

"Yeah, I better go, too." Jenny said.

Buffy was the first one out the door as they all started into the hall.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Xander said as he held the door open.

"Buffy, wait up!"/ Willow called out, following behind her best friend.

/Jenny stopped on the way out and said to Giles, "I'll, uh, go on the 'Net and search for anything on The Judge."/

Giles lovingly looked into Jenny's eyes and said, /"Thank you."

"After classes I'll come back and help you research." Xander offered seriously.

Cordelia gave him a pat on the shoulder as she walked out, "Yeah, you might find something useful if it's in an 'I Can Read' book."

Xander shot her a look like he was ready to kill her./

Buffy was about to go up the hallway stairs when Willow caught up to her and stopped her. Willow informed Buffy, "I called your mom last night and told her that you were spending the night with me. So, you're covered."

"Thanks, Will," Buffy smiled at her best friend as she started to head off to class.

"Oh and Buffy," Willow grabbed Buffy's attention again. "Angel's shirt looks good on you."

Buffy blushed and grinned, "Well, my shirt was still damp…from the rain last night."

"Uh huh." Willow grunted with a wide grin on her face.

"It was!" Buffy said, but couldn't keep the grin off of her face.

"Then why are you blushing?" Willow asked still grinning. "Does this have anything to do with the 'I like seeing you at bedtime' conversation yesterday?

Buffy didn't have an answer for her and just said, "Willow." Buffy really didn't want to talk about this with anyone. Sure it was Willow and she had no problems with Angel being Buffy's boyfriend, and yesterday when they were talking, she seemed to be ok with the thought of Buffy taking her relationship with Angel to the next step. But this was something she wanted to keep between her and Angel for a while.

/They started up the stairs as Jenny looked around the corner and watched them go up./

* * *

That night in the library, everyone was supposed to be researching a way to find a way to kill The Judge. Buffy and Angel were in the stacks making out, Buffy not knowing that Xander and Cordelia were a few rows down from them also making out. When Willow got up to go put a book back on the shelf, she noticed that she, Jenny and Giles were the only ones on the main floor. Thinking that Xander, Cordelia, Buffy and Angel were looking for more books, she went in search of another book herself. She unknowingly turned down the aisle where Buffy and Angel were. Although, by the time Willow got to them, Angel had his hand up Buffy's shirt—well his shirt that she was wearing. Neither of them noticed that she was there, so she cleared her throat. "Um, guys, I think you better cool it a bit before Giles comes up here," she whispered as she put her book up. "I just think he might be a little upset that you're not researching is all," she quickly added as Angel jerked his hand out of Buffy's shirt—well his shirt that she was wearing.

"Uh…Right…Research…"Buffy stuttered as she blushed.

Willow left the aisle and went in search of another book. As she turned down another aisle, /she saw Xander and Cordelia kissing. After a few moments, Cordelia giggled and smiled and they pulled apart. Cordy and Xander saw that Willow was standing behind them, completely confused and upset.

Xander, not knowing just what to say about being caught with Cordelia grunted, "Uh..."

Willow darted off, and ran out of the library, while Xander ran after her, trying to explain, "We were just... Willow! Willow. Willow, come on!"/

Buffy grabbed a book off of the shelf and she and Angel went back to the tables on the main floor of the library. Buffy could hear Xander trying to explain something, but she didn't know what. When Xander came back into the library alone, Buffy asked, "What happened? Where's Willow?"

"Uh…," Xander stalled looking over at Cordelia who gave a nod of approval. "She saw Cordelia and I kissing and ran off."

"Wow." Buffy said. "You and Cordelia kissing." Buffy took a deep breath. "Wow."

"Uh, yes, well, as disturbing as that may be, we still have to find out how to destroy The Judge." Giles said.

"Giles, I haven't been able to find anything either." Angel started to say, then paused and said, "I think I might have another book at home that may be of some help, I'll go get it."

"I'll go with you." Buffy said.

"No, I think you should stay here and help go through these books" Angel said, knowing that if Buffy went with him, they would probably end up making love and not come back to continue the research . "I won't be long."

* * *

When Angel got to his apartment, he could feel that someone there. "Hello, Angel. Long time no see."

"Devlin. What are doing here?"

"Heard you killed Darla." Devlin commented.

"Why are you here?" Angel asked tensely as he watched Devlin who was sitting casually in Angel's favorite chair.

"Because, I wanted to know if it was true, after all you did spend 150 years at her side, then you kill her? Soul or not, you don't just kill your Sire, especially one that you were lovers with for a century and a half!" Devlin said angrily.

"She was going to kill someone I care about, Devlin. I had no choice."

"You know you were her favorite." Devlin said quietly.

Angel just looked at him.

"I've always been jealous of you. Even when we were kids back in Galway, you always were better at everything than I was. You were able to get out of marrying some flimsy girl when I couldn't. And then Darla came along and turned us. I thought that for once, I would be better at something than you were. But she chose you over me. She thought you were a better lover, tortured the humans better than I did. No matter what I did, you were better. Then you were cursed with a soul. I thought I had finally gotten my chance to prove I was better than you. Still she kept comparing me to you! Again, nothing I did was up to the standards you set. Until now. At least I didn't kill her. No matter how many times I wanted to, I didn't kill my Sire! You did. You killed her! Well, we'll just see who is the master of torture is now." Devlin said as he walked passed Angel and out of the door.

He wasn't in the mood to play games and he knew that Devlin was about to start a game that could get everyone close to him killed. Angel grabbed the book he had come for from the book shelf and ran out of the door. He raced back to the school, but Devlin had beaten him there.

As Angel entered the school hallway he heard Devlin saying, /"I've got a message for Buffy/ and Angel."

/Buffy appeared behind him, "Why don't you give it to me yourself?"/

As Devlin /spun around with Willow to face Buffy, she saw that he had one hand engulfing Willow's neck. Devlin furiously said, "Well, it's not really the kind of message you tell. It sort of involves finding the bodies of all your friends."

He tightened his grip on Willow even more and she lets out a pained yelp./

"Devlin, leave them alone. You're fight is with me." Angel snarled as he stepped out of the shadows.

"Even though I was always in your shadow, don't think I didn't learn from you, Angelus. I did. And you will be the last one to die." Devlin challenged as he shoved Willow away from him and ran back out of the door.

"Who was that?" Buffy asked Angel.

"An old friend." Angel said ashamed and Buffy could see the conflict etched on his face. "After Darla turned me, I convinced her to turn my best friend as well. And well, that was Devlin. He found out that I killed Darla and is out for revenge. But first he's going to try to prove that he can torture people better than I could." Angel said darkly. Then he told the group of people who was listing to him, "Right now, as long as everyone is with either Buffy or myself, then you'll be safe. We'll worry about Devlin after we take care of The Judge."

They went to the library and told Giles what had happened with Devlin. Giles had remembered reading about Devlin and said that the only vampire worse than Devlin was Angelus.

/"I have a plan," Xander announced. "I think I may have a way to deal with this Judge guy." He sat on the table by Cordelia.

"What do we do?" Willow asked.

"I think, um...I think I may need Cordelia for this one." Xander said as he looked back and forth from Willow to Cordelia. Willow lowered her eyes for just an instant and Xander continued. "And we may need wheels."

"Well, my car is..." Cordelia started to volunteer.

"It might have to be bigger." Xander interrupted.

"No problem. I'll get Oz. He has a van." Willow offered.

"Good." Xander said and then looked at Cordelia, "Okay."

"Care to let me in on the plan I'm a part of?" Cordelia inquired.

"No."

"Why not?" Cordelia stood up with her hands on her hips.

"Because if I tell you, then you won't do it. Just meet me at Willow's house in half an hour. And wear something trashy...er." Xander said as he walked off.

Cordelia was furious but followed him./

After hearing Angel tell everyone about Devlin, Jenny decided it was time to come clean and tell everyone what she knew. Jenny looked up at the group and began to speak, "I think my uncle might have called Devlin here." Giles, Angel, and Buffy were stunned at Jenny's comments. "I was sent here to watch Angel; and to keep you two apart. I didn't know what would happen if I failed. Until just a few hours ago. My uncle said that Angel was meant to suffer for what he did to our people. When he found out that I had failed in making sure that Angel was suffering, he had to call in someone else, another vampire, who would make sure he would suffer."

"My God, does he know what he's done?" Angel asked.

"Yes, he does. He told me that it's vengeance that we serve, not justice. And for us to have vengeance, then we have to make sure that Angel never experiences happiness again." Jenny said as she looked at the floor. Finally after a few moments of complete silence she looked back up at Angel and said, "I'm sorry. /If there is anything that…."/

"Curse Devlin like you did Angel." Buffy said, trying to find a way not to kill the love of her life's childhood friend.

/"I can't. I mean, those majicks are long lost even to my people."

"Then take me to someone who can." Buffy said.

* * *

Jenny took Giles/ Angel /and Buffy the only nice hotel in Sunnydale. Her uncle's room was on the second floor./ The room was spacious and the only thing that seemed out of place was the blood on the bed and the wall above the bed. / "Oh, my God." Jenny said.

She rushed in to her uncle. He was laid out on the bed, dead and covered with blood. Buffy/ and Angel /looked up at the wall behind him. A message was written there in blood/ 'Remember Elizabeth?'

* * *

Giles, Angel, and Buffy were sitting in Giles' office when Buffy asked, "Who was Elizabeth?"

Angel wasn't ready to tell Buffy everything about Elizabeth, especially not in front of Giles, so he gave an evasive answer, "She was a good friend of mine growing up. I…uh…helped her get out a…uh…sticky situation."

/Xander and Oz walked in placing a long box on Giles' desk/ saving Angel from having to explain further.

/"Happy Birthday, Buffy. I hope you like the color." Xander said as he stepped back.

She looked down at the box and Giles positioned a crowbar on the lock.

"Giles, we'll hit the factory first, but they might not be there. If they're on the offensive. We need to figure out where they'd go."

Giles lifted on the crowbar and broke the clasp. "Agreed," he said as he opened the box.

Buffy looked into the box and said, "This is good."

Jenny who was in the doorway asked, "Do you, uh...Is there something I can do?"

"Get out." Buffy said feeling the teacher behind her had betrayed her and Angel both.

"I-I just want to help." Jenny insisted.

Giles looked away from her/ took a deep breath, /and said, "She said 'get out.'"/ He still couldn't believe that Jenny…his Jenny, had been spying on them . That she was trying to keep someone miserable. How could she spy on them? He loved her. And she had been spying on them. Was it all an act? Did she feel for him like he did her? At this point it didn't matter. He couldn't believe that she had feelings for him if she had been spying on them.

/Buffy looked up at Giles as he looked sadly into the crate. Jenny turned around and left.

Xander stepped up and asked, "Do you want me to show you how to use it?"

"Yes, I do." Buffy affirmed.

* * *

Spike's warehouse was deserted. Buffy walked up to the table, "I knew it."

Giles looked up and around, "We haven't a bead on where they would go?"

Buffy exhaled, "I don't know, uh... somewhere crowded, I guess. I mean, The Judge needs bodies, right?"

"The Bronze?" Willow suggested.

"It's closed tonight." Xander reminded her.

Cordelia remarked, "There's not a lot of choices in Sunnydale. It's not like people are gonna line up to get massacred."

Oz found his voice and said, "Uh, guys? If I were gonna line up, I know where I'd go."

At the Sunnydale Mall, the doors opened, and the Judge/ Devlin /and Drusilla walked in flanked by their troops. They closed the doors behind them. As a man was coming up the stairs, the Judge reached out with his hand, and an arc of energy emanated from it to the man. The man froze with a look of surprise on his face and he quickly began to combust. He disappeared in a puff of flame and smoke./

Devlin /commanded, "Lock the exits, boys." The vampires hurry down the stairs to do/ Devlin's /bidding. "It's all yours."/ Devlin /said to the Judge, who smiled.

An Elevator door opened and Buffy strolled out with Giles and Xander following and carrying the crate on their shoulders. The others brought up the rear as Buffy said, "Everybody keep back. Damage control only. Take out any lesser vamps if you can. I'll handle the Smurf."

The Judge took a couple of steps down. A customer squeezed by/ Devlin /and headed down the stairs branching to the left. A young couple came up on the right. The Judge extended his arms, and his energy arced out to and through them. Then the Judge's energy arced through everyone in the area. They were all frozen where they stood. The Judge smiled widely./ Devlin /and Drusilla also grinned as they enjoyed the show.

Drusilla, bouncing with glee, said, "Oh, goody!"

Suddenly a crossbow bolt hit The Judge in the chest breaking his concentration. The arcs of energy disappear, and the people were all dazed. The Judge grabbed at the bolt and pulled it from his chest.

"Who dares?" The Judge demanded./

Devlin /and Drusilla looked over at the refreshment stand and saw Buffy standing on top of it, holding the crossbow and Xander opening a crate.

"I think I got his attention." Buffy/ sharply /quipped./ She knew that she would possibly have to kill her lover's best friend tonight and she was not looking forward to it. Hopefully this would work, and the Judge would be dead in just a few seconds.

/Judge arrogantly said, "You're a fool. No weapon forged can stop me."

Buffy lowered the bow and said, "That was then." Xander handed her the weapon from the box, and she raised an anti-tank rocket launcher to her shoulder. "This is now."

She powered it on./ Devlin /and Drusilla exchanged a look. Buffy set her sights and opened the trigger guard. The rest of the team took cover behind the snack counter./ Devlin /and Drusilla began to run. Buffy took aim as The Judge looked at her. Buffy was ready when The Judge asked, "What's that do?"

Buffy pulled the trigger and the rocket flew straight into The Judge's chest as/ Devlin /and Drusilla flew over the railing. The Judge disappeared in an explosion of flame and smoke. The people in the mall screamed and started to panic and run./ Devlin /and Drusilla hit the floor below. Bits of charred Judge fall all around them. Buffy looked up from the rocket launcher's sights and looked over at them in satisfaction./ Devlin /got up and ran off. Drusilla whined and ran the other way. The team looked over the counter at what's left of The Judge. The smoke cloud from the explosion billowed its way up to the ceiling.

"Best present ever," Buffy said as she handed the weapon down to Xander.

"Knew you'd like it." Xander commented.

Willow asked, "Do you think he's dead?"

"We can't be sure. Pick up the pieces and keep them separate." Buffy said.

They all started over to collect what was left of The Judge as Cordelia complained, "Pieces? We get the pieces. Our job sucks!" Parts of The Judge were lying everywhere and some were still burning. The smoke reached the sprinklers and they turned on everywhere./

Devlin /went in a side area of the mall and looked up at/ Angel. /Frightened customers were running every which way./ Angel /saw him and started to give chase./ Devlin /struggled past some people and ran./

Devlin /was headed to one of the side areas. He kept looking behind him to see if/ Angel /was following him./ Angel /had started the chase as soon as/ Devlin /recovered after the explosion of the Judge./

Angel was so focused on catching up with Devlin, he didn't notice that Buffy was behind him, but Devlin did. Staring at Angel he began to taunt him, "Did you tell you her about your first love? Tell me, is The Slayer just as good as Elizabeth was?" Angel didn't say anything as Buffy bolted past him and kicked Devlin in the stomach and the fight began. Angel stood there stunned. Why was he bringing Elizabeth into this? And while Buffy knew that there had been many women before her, he didn't want Devlin distorting the facts. Sure he cared about Elizabeth, but he was never in love with her. He only hoped that Buffy knew that. He watched as the love of his life fought and knew that whatever Buffy thought about what Devlin said, it wasn't distracting her from her calling as Slayer.

Buffy slammed Devlin through a display case and Devlin picked up a metal pipe from a broken display case that was laying on the ground and hit Buffy over the head with it, knocking her out. Angel came up with a stake in his hand and kicked the pipe out of Devlin's hand. As Angel looked into Devlin's eyes, he saw the Devlin that had saved his little sister, Kathy, from drowning when she had fallen in the lake over 200 years. Devlin looked up with a smirk on his face,"You can't kill your oldest friend." Angel dropped the stake and punched him knocking him to the ground. Angel turned around scooping Buffy into his arms and left.

* * *

Angel walked Buffy home after she returned to consciousness. It seemed as though she had a slight concussion, but with her Slayer healing, she would be fine in a couple hours. However, Angel wasn't going to take any chances. When they made it to her house, she found a note on her refrigerator door from her mother.

_Buffy, _

_I've been called out of town for a few days on business. I will call and let you know where you can reach me if you need to. There are leftovers in the fridge. And I left some money for pizza, burgers, or whatever else you may want to eat. Happy Birthday. When I get home, I'll take you shopping for your birthday. _

_Love,_

_Mom._

"Mom's out of town for a few days." Buffy called out. "At least we don't have to worry about getting caught for a few days. But I can't go out to patrol until she calls."

"What about food? Did she leave you enough food or do you need to go grocery shopping?"

"There's leftovers and plenty of food and I know how to cook, I just don't ever have the time with Slaying, plus she left me some money for take-out."

Just then the phone rang. Buffy picked up the phone, "Hello."

"Buffy."

"Mom."

"I'm sorry I had to leave on such short notice. The Jones Springs gallery in Idaho called us and they were willing to sell us a few pieces that we have been trying to buy, so I had to leave immediately. I'll be home in five days. I'm at the Holiday Inn Room 337. The phone number is 1-208-271-1727."

"OK Thanks."

"Oh you might want to eat the rest of the casserole tonight. If you don't it will go bad. You found the money I left right?"

"Yes, I did."

"I'm really sorry, Hon. I'll make it up to you this weekend when I get home. I'll take you shopping for your birthday, ok?"

"Oh. It's alright, really I understand."

"Did you have fun at Willow's last night?"

"Yeah, I did." Buffy said as she smiled at Angel who was standing in front of her.

"Ok. Get your homework done and be good."

"I will, Mom."

"I'll call you every night to see how you're doing."

"I might stay with Willow a couple of nights."

"If you do, call and let me know, so I won't worry when you don't answer the phone."

"I will, Mom."

"Happy Birthday, Sweetie."

"Thanks."

"Bye. I love you."

"Love you too. Bye Mom." Buffy hung up the phone and said, "She's in Idaho until Saturday."

"Uh huh." Angel grunted as he bent down and kissed her.

As the kiss ended, Buffy was dazed and as she tried to get her thoughts together, she said, "So, um, I'm going to heat up the rest of the casserole and eat it and then patrol."

"You're not going to patrol tonight. You have a concussion." Angel said sternly as she started to get the casserole out of the refrigerator. He was still worried about her.

"Angel, we have to find Devlin. If you come across him tonight, do you really think you kill him?"

Angel looked down. He wasn't sure if he could. Oh physically he could easily. But emotionally, he wasn't sure. His soul still remembered all the good times and mischief that they got into before they were turned. Angel wasn't sure he could kill Devlin. If Devlin was going to kill Buffy, he would kill Devlin in a heartbeat – just like he did Darla, otherwise he just didn't think he could do it. He looked back up and with resolve said, "We'll find him another night. Tonight, you're going to eat and relax."

"Ok." Buffy decided to change the subject, "Sorry I don't have any blood in the fridge."

"It's ok. I didn't expect you to." Angel said. He had fed before he went to the school to help with research so he didn't need any more blood until the next night.

"So, do you want to stay the night, since Mom's not home?"

Angel just gave her a wicked smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

__

**Author's Note: I wish to welcome Sara Egbert to my beta team. I have messed around with the timeline to fit my story, so some of the episodes happen out of order in this universe. Thank you to Tani who wrote the NC-17 Scene! Please visit my home page or email me for pictures for this chapter.**

Chapter 2

* * *

The next night, Xander, Cordelia, Willow, Oz, Buffy, and Angel went to the Bronze. Buffy wore a tight spaghetti strap mini dress that showed off all of her curves and enhanced her chest. The dress reminded Angel of an old song, so he had asked the D.J. to play Lady in Red.

While Buffy and Angel were dancing, Devlin and Drusilla walked in. When Angel saw them enter, he stiffened and tightened his hold on Buffy. She felt the change in him, looked around, and saw Drusilla and Devlin. They both knew that the two powerful vampires were not alone, but they waited to for them to make their move. They continued to dance until the end of the song and then went to their table to keep an eye on Devlin and Drusilla.

As they watched, Drusilla and Devlin split up and started talking to some of the patrons. Devlin still couldn't believe that Angel was with The Slayer. He hadn't believed Spike and Drusilla when they had told him when he came to Sunnydale for Drusilla's birthday. But he had smelled someone on Angel when he had visited Angel's apartment. He hadn't been sure it was the Slayer he smelled, until he met her.

Buffy and Angel kept an eye on Drusilla and Devlin. After about half an hour, Devlin nodded to one of patrons by the door. The patron vamped out, knocked out the bouncer, and blocked the exit. At the same time about twenty of the patrons vamped out as well. Buffy and Angel made their way to the dance floor when they saw Devlin get on the stage. Devlin announced, "There is no need to panic, we only want two of you. And those two know who they are." He looked right at Buffy and Angel.

Angel instinctively protectively stepped in front of Buffy and demanded, "What do you want, Devlin?" Buffy being annoyed that Angel stepped in front of her, stepped around him, and stood beside him.

"You and her! You dare to turn your back on us?"

Angel knew that Devlin was taking about when he had gotten his Soul back. He had heard that Darla had told the family that he had turned his back on them. But in reality, she had kicked him out because she could smell the Soul on him and he could not kill innocents anymore.

He stared at Devlin as Drusilla grabbed Buffy from behind. She was stunned at first, but began to fight back as Devlin launched himself from the stage and punched Angel in the face.

Xander tried to fight the vamp that was closest to him but the vamp put him into a headlock and held him there. He was too strong for Xander to break loose. Willow, Oz, and Cordelia were likewise pinned by a vampire while trying to fight them off.

Drusilla had Buffy up against a pool table as she was grabbing for Buffy's neck to snap it, but Buffy flipped her over and Drusilla landed on the pool table. Buffy grabbed a pool stick and was about to stake her when Devlin shouted, "You do that, Slayer, and twenty patrons here die along with Angel here."

Buffy looked up to see that Devlin had Angel pinned down with a stake above his heart. She also saw that the twenty minions that came in with Devlin and Drusilla each had a hostage, Willow, Oz, Cordelia, and Xander were among the ones being held. Angel got the upper hand and now had the stake pointed at Devlin's heart. "If Dru or I die, so do the twenty kids our boys have." Buffy and Angel looked at one another and nodded in agreement.

"Let them go now, and Dru and Devlin will live for now," Angel shouted.

Buffy added, "If just one of them is harmed in any way, they both will be dust."

The minions looked at Devlin and he told them, "Go! Now!" The undead let their hostages go and Angel and Buffy could only watch as Devlin and Drusilla walked out with them.

"You going after them?" Xander asked.

"Later. We go now, and we're dead. There's too many of them right now." Angel said while holding onto Buffy to keep her from following them.

Not long after the creatures of the night left, the music started again and the patrons went back to their dancing, seeming to forget the gang with the weird faces.

"Life on the Hellmouth," Cordelia snipped as she sighed.

"Yep. They'll probably only remember a fight, nothing weird about the people fighting though," Willow said annoyed.

"As usual," Oz commented.

* * *

Later on that night, Buffy and Angel dropped Xander, Cordelia, Willow and Oz off at Buffy's house. They were all staying over there since Buffy's mom was out of town. Buffy and Angel had gone on a quick patrol while the Scooby Gang watched a movie.

"So what now? Do you want to start the Truth or Dare game now?" Xander asked as the movie ended. The gang had discussed playing Truth or Dare while the movie was playing. They had hoped to see if Angel would tell them something about what Devlin could be up to. The first time that Angel asked for Truth the person who picked him would ask if he had any idea on Devlin's next move.

"I think we should wait for Buffy and Angel to get back from Patrol." Willow said. right before the front door opened up and Buffy and Angel walked in.

"Well, did you find them?"

"No. They've left the factory. Not sure where they are. But we're safe here. They can't come in without an invite." Buffy said.

"Cool," Oz said.

"And we stopped to get pizza." Buffy announced as Angel walked in with three boxes of large pizza. As soon as Angel put the pizza boxes on the coffee table, the boxes were attacked by the teenagers.

"Who's up for a game of Truth or Dare before bed?" Xander asked biting into a slice of pepperoni pizza. The plan was to pretend that they had not discussed this before hand.

"Sure," Oz approved.

"Why not," Willow agreed.

"I'm in," Buffy said.

"Whatever," Cordelia uncaringly said.

"What's that?" Angel asked as he sat beside Buffy on the couch and putting his arm around her.

"When someone calls on you, you pick truth or dare. If you pick truth, you will be asked a question and you have to tell the truth no matter what the question is. If you pick dare you have do whatever you're told no matter what it is." Buffy explained.

"Sure why not." Angel said, not knowing that the truth questions could get personal and the dares could be wacky and/or embarrassing.

"Who goes first?" Willow asked. She hoped that she would get to ask Buffy a Truth question.

"Well, I say since it's Buffy's house, she gets to go first." Cordelia said.

"Ok, umm…Oz, Truth or Dare?" Buffy asked.

"Truth."

"How long have you been in The Dingoes Ate My Baby?"

"Two years ever since we started the band. Xander, Truth or Dare?

"The Truth is out there."

"Ok. How long have you and Cordelia been making out?"

"A few weeks. Cordy, Truth or Dare?" Xander quickly said and called on the next person before any one could comment.

"Dare."

"Ok…um…let's see…I dare you to go take all of your make up off and wear that cream all over your face for the rest of the game."

Cordelia looked confused, "Cream?"

"Yeah you know that green cream that you girls use to take off your make-up."

Cordelia thought a moment, "You mean the face mask?"

"Yeah that's it!" Xander exclaimed.

"You mean I have to wear that in front of you guys?"

"Yep."

"Come on, Xander. Something else please. I don't want to look like a geek." Cordelia complained.

"You gotta do it, Cordelia." Willow said as everyone agreed.

"Fine," she sighed and grabbed her make up bag and went to the bathroom.

Angel raised an eyebrow and looked at Buffy. So Buffy explained, "Usually a dare is something embarrassing. While, it wouldn't bother Willow or me to wear the face mask in front of everyone here, it does bother Cordelia."

"Oh." Angel said. He had seen Buffy remove her make up several times in the past few nights. He didn't see what the big deal was. Cordelia walked in 10 minutes later with green cream all over her face.

"Angel, Truth or Dare?" Cordelia inquired.

"Truth." _I've got nothing to hide,_ he thought.

"God I was hoping you would ask that. Do you know Devlin's plan? I mean you said that he's trying to copy you when you didn't have a Soul. Do you know what he's going to do?"

Angel looked at Buffy and at her nod, he began to tell her friends what he knew all the while looking down at the floor or at Buffy, "I can guess. I'm his target. He knows that the best way to torture me, would be to torture Buffy. He will most likely go after everyone close to Buffy first and then let her suffer through the death of her family and friends and then forcing me to watch as he physically tortures her and then he will kill her – again forcing me to watch – and then he will kill me." Angel said. When he saw everyone's face was pale, he quickly added, "Unless we stop him. Which I'm sure that we can do."

"Right. We'll find him and stop him. Don't worry." Buffy and Angel had already talked about what Devlin would probably do, so this was no surprise to her. She then explained to him, "It's your turn now to ask a truth question or to dare someone to do something. Usually everyone gets a turn before someone gets another turn and I went first so ask Willow."

"OK. Willow Truth or Dare." Angel asked.

"Truth." Willow said not knowing what to expect in the way of a question or a dare from Angel.

Angel, not really know what to ask her decided on a question that he felt wasn't too personal, "What's your favorite music band?"

"Oh that's easy. The Dingoes." She said without hesitation. Then she grinned and said, "Buffy, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth." Buffy said.

Willow got a glint in her eyes and said, "Remember you have to tell the truth. Have you and Angel…" Gosh, she thought that she could ask this question. It had been bugging her ever since she saw Buffy wearing Angel's shirt to school the other day. "You know."

Buffy did know but saw a way out of answering the question. "Will, if you can't ask the question, I don't have to answer it." Buffy glanced at Angel and saw the confused look on his face. It was obvious that he had no idea what Willow was trying to ask.

"Have you had sex?" Willow finally blurted out.

"Isn't that personal?" Angel chocked out before Buffy could answer.

"That's the game, Angel." Buffy said. Damn. She was backed into a corner and was going to have to answer. She wasn't ashamed. She had just hoped to keep it between her and Angel for a while. "Yes." She said finally. The she quickly added, "Angel, Truth or Dare?"

"Truth."

"What's the full story on Elizabeth?"

Angel thought a moment. He had known that he was going to have to tell her eventually. But he wanted to do it in private. "Can I tell you in private?"

Buffy looked around the room and everyone was nodding their heads yes so she said, "Yes. Go ahead and ask someone so that the game doesn't stop while you're telling me all about Elizabeth."

"Xander, Truth or Dare?"

"Dare"

Buffy whispered something in his ear and he said, "I dare you to do the … 'Snoopy Dance'?" Angel's face was one of confusion.

"Hey that's cheating! No giving hints!"

Cordelia who wanted to see what the Snoopy Dance was said, "Angel's new to the game so I vote that we can give him hints on things." Everyone else agreed with her.

"Oh come on, I only do that for the Charlie Brown Specials."

"Well, now you have to do it for all to see." Buffy said grinning.

Xander got up and did the Snoopy Dance, then sat back down next to Cordelia and said, "Oz Truth or Dare?"

Angel and Buffy left the living room and went up to her room to talk privately. "You know you could have asked me when we were alone." Buffy just shrugged her shoulders. Angel took her into his arms and gave her a hug. They sat down on her bed, and then he started to tell her all about Elizabeth.

"Devlin, Elizabeth and I grew up together. All three of us were very close. When we turned 15 we all swore that we would never marry someone who we didn't love. While their parents didn't really get along, my father was the worst. He beat my mother and my sister. I could take the beatings he dealt out. But Kathy, she was so young. And my mother didn't have a choice either. Devlin and Elizabeth fathers just cheated on their wives. They didn't beat on them. Or if they did, I didn't know about it.

"Anyway, we didn't want to end up in a loveless marriage and turn out like our fathers, and Elizabeth didn't want to end up being beaten every night like my mother or having her husband cheat on her every chance he got like her father did to her mother or both."

Angel took an unneeded breath and looked at a poster on Buffy's wall and continued, "A little over a year went by and Elizabeth found out that she had been betrothed to Angus O'Brian. Angus was very rude to Elizabeth and always had been. He was our age, but we all hated him. Devlin and I always tried to protect Elizabeth from him. His father owned a fleet of boats and Elizabeth's father was a fisherman. It was stated in the betrothal contract that Elizabeth's father would receive a boat of his own and be promoted to captain when they were married. Elizabeth tried everything she could think of to get her father to cancel the betrothal. Back then a betrothal was more times than not a business contract. It wasn't easy to get out them.

Angel looked back at Buffy and said, "My father accused me several times of ruining his businesses by refusing to marry a girl that he had tried to betrothe me to. But being a man, I had more say in it than Elizabeth did. She didn't have any say whatsoever.

"Then she came up with a plan. She begged me to marry her to save her from Angus. I was too afraid of becoming my father and I refused her. I knew that she was in love with me. But I was too afraid of hurting her. So I told her no. She would have to find some other way. I told her that Devlin would marry her. He was in love with her and wanted to marry to her even though he knew that she wanted me."

What Angel was about to say he wasn't proud of. He again took an unneeded breath as he sighed, took Mr. Gordo from the bed, held and looked at the stuffed pig as he continued, "A few days later she came to me with another plan. She asked me to make love to her. Even though we knew that Angus was sleeping around, we couldn't prove it and she really didn't want to marry him. If she was impure, then he wouldn't want her anymore and he would be the one to break the betrothal. It was the only way that she could see out of the arrangement. I didn't know of any other way either." Angel whispered the last sentence.

"So you slept with her?" Buffy asked trying to mask the jealousy that she felt.

Angel sighed again and looked into Buffy's green eyes. Buffy could see the shame that Angel felt reflected in his eyes as he answered her, "Yes, I did. She was my first. And we kept up an affair for several months. I found out later from my mother that Elizabeth had thought that she was pregnant and went to the midwife. But there was no pregnancy and Elizabeth refused to name who the father would be. Angus found out and broke off the betrothal on grounds of infidelity. A few months later, Elizabeth came to me and said that her mother's sister in Dublin was sick and she and her mother were going to go take care of her and hopefully nurse her back to health. About six months later, her mother came home and when I went to go visit Elizabeth, her mother told me that she had married a nice young man in Dublin and had stayed there."

Buffy noticed a sadness had crept into Angel's eyes but let him continue. "Two years later she came back to Galway with her husband and two kids to visit her parents. I saw them in town one day. She had an infant and a little boy who looked to be two years old. When I heard her call him Liam…I started to wonder if her aunt was ever sick. I went to see her that afternoon. And I asked her if the boy was mine. She told me no. She told me that her mother had lied to everyone in Dublin saying that she was a new widow. Her mother also said that she had just married a sailor who had died at sea. When she found out that she was pregnant, her husband insisted on her naming the child after her 'dead husband' to keep his memory alive. She said that she combined my name and her husband's name for the boy. She chose my name because she would always love me. She said that the timing was all wrong that the boy was unquestionably her husband's son. After they left to go back to Dublin, I started staying all night in the pubs drinking and 'whoring about' as my father called it. When Darla turned me, I killed her parents, brothers and sisters. But I never saw her, her husband or their children again." Angel finished his story wondering again if Elizabeth had told him the truth about her little Liam.

Buffy sat there looking into his eyes, searching for something. "Do you love her?" she asked afraid of the answer.

"No." Angel answered truthfully. "You are the only woman in my whole life that I have ever loved." He then kissed her deeply and they slowly laid down on the bed.

Angel had gotten Buffy's shirt off and was kissing her neck when Xander barged into the room saying, "Guys, are you finished talking?" Xander didn't see much of Buffy since Angel body was covering her up, but he did see her shirt on the floor and said, "Oooppps. I think I'll just go now."

Angel heard Xander walking down the steps and saying, "I don't care if it is a dare in a Truth or Dare game; I am not ever going to walk into a room where those two are alone again!"

Angel stopped kissing Buffy's neck and said, "Do you think we should go back down there?"

"Not right now. Let them think what they want to think I want you now." Buffy said as she slid Angel's shirt off of him.

* * *

When Buffy and Angel made it back down to the living room, the gang had just decided to end the game. They were tired and wanted to go to sleep. Buffy and Angel went back up to her room to get pillows and blankets to lay down on the living room floor while her friends laid out their sleeping bags and pillows and Cordelia went to wash her face.

"Remind me never to play that game with your friends again." Angel commented as he helped her retrieve the pillows and sheets from her room.

"What embarrassed? I didn't think that vamps got embarrassed." Buffy teasesd.

"There were some things that I had wanted to keep between us and not everyone."

"I know. I didn't think that they would ask _**that**_ question. I knew it was a possibility. But I thought that Willow would wait until we were alone, you know just me and her." Buffy grabbed the pillows as Angel grabbed the covers from Buffy's bed.

They walked into the living room to see Oz and Willow curled up next to each other and Xander and Cordelia were curled up together. Each couple had opened up all four sleeping bags and was laying on top of one the sleeping bags while covering up with another one. Buffy and Angel laid out a blanket on the floor and laid down on top of it and pulled a comforter over them. Angel held Buffy close to himThey had yet to spend a night apart since Buffy's mom left the day after her birthday. He was enjoying sleeping with Buffy in his arms and waking up with her still in his arms. He knew that things would change when her mom got back into town, so he would enjoy this while he could. He would have to figure out how to make it so they could sleep together each night, but for now, until he could figure it out, these nights would have to be sufficient.

* * *

The night before Joyce was supposed to come home, Buffy and Angel were at her house waiting for her to call to check up on Buffy. The plan was for Buffy to talk to her mother and then they would patrol and then go back to Angel's apartment, where they had spent most of their nights since Joyce had been out of town. She needed to know what time to expect Joyce home tomorrow so that she could be home by that time.

At 9 pm when Joyce still hadn't called, Angel decided it would be best if he went ahead and patrolled. Buffy couldn't leave until Joyce called, so she stayed behind to wait for the call. However, when Angel returned at 11 pm, Joyce still hadn't called. "Well, we could always stay here."

"Yeah, I guess." Buffy said as she started to unpack her bag. "So did you find Devlin, Drusilla, and Spike?"

"No, not yet." Angel growled frustrated.

"Angel, what if they got to my mother?" Buffy looked at Angel worriedly.

"I don't think so. When Devlin kills someone close to us, he'll leave their body where we can find them easily." Angel hoped he was right. That's what he would have done. And Devlin always tried to do things just like he did. "Your mother was probably just tired and forgot to call." Angel assured her.

"You really think so?" Buffy asked.

"I do." Angel said as he pulled her into a hug.

Buffy was still worried about her mother, but wanted to believe that she was alright. She needed Angel to distract her from her worrying about her mother. She looked into his eyes and impishly asked, "So what do you want to do on our last night together?"

Angel didn't reply with words. Instead, he started to kiss her lips. Without breaking the kiss, he picked her up and carried her to her bedroom. He laid her down on her bed and began to make love to her.

Buffy's small hand caressed the bare skin of his chest. Her fingers grazed his nipples, until they were erect, sending sparks shooting through him. She slowly glided her hand down his magnificent torso until she reached the waistband of his black pants. She deliberately kept from touching him where he most wanted her to. With feather light touches her hands skimmed across his fabric encased legs, moving achingly slow towards the apex of his thighs. She ignored his tormented groan. Her fingers continued to dance across his lower body getting nearer to where he needed her to touch him. Closer and closer until finally... Her fingers lightly stroked his hardened length through the fabric before squeezing firmly. Angel moaned. It was torture to have her touching him through his pants. He gasped as her hand tightened around him. He desperately needed to feel her touching his skin. Almost as if she read his mind her hand found its way inside his trousers. At the first touch of her fingers wrapped around his shaft, stroking him, he hissed with pleasure. _Damn that feels so good! _

He just couldn't take any more torment. If she didn't stop soon he would wind up embarrassing himself. He growled a warning low in his throat, grabbing her hand to still it. His other hand gently cupped the side her face as he lowered his head until his lips were inches away from hers. His tongue tenderly traced the fullness of her bottom lip before kissing her gently. Gentleness gave way to passion as he felt her mouth open to him. His mouth captured the moan that escaped her as his hand trailed down the side of her neck to her breast. Sensations whirled through her body as his fingers teased the nipple to pebble hardness.

Between passionate kisses and hot caresses, clothes were quickly discarded and forgotten as the lovers' bodies entwined once again. Buffy pushed against Angel's chest until he was lying on his back. Her lips left a hot, moist trail from his pectorals to his belly button. She scraped her teeth across his flat stomach, soothing the small hurt with her tongue. At the feel of her teeth and tongue, Angel's back arched of the bed. She smiled knowingly. He groaned as her hot little hand wrapped around his aching shaft. The minute she guided him close to the hot cavern of her mouth he was lost. His body stiffened as her breath caressed him. He growled as her pink tongue darted out and licked the head of his swollen manhood. She teased him with light touches of her tongue along his shaft, up, down, and around but never taking him in her mouth. _She is going to drive me insane! _His hands tightened into fists on the blankets. It was all he could do to keep from grabbing her head an forcing her mouth down onto him. All at once her mouth engulfed him, sucking, milking his already aching shaft until he felt the familiar tingle that signaled the start of his orgasm. His body shook with the force of his desire for this one woman, his soul mate. Not wanting to cum anywhere but inside her hot, tight sheath he quickly moved her mouth away from his throbbing manhood.

"My turn." In one fluid moment he had rolled them over until he was lying on top of her beautiful, golden body once more. His eyes glowed with a mixture of gold and brown as he looked down at his oh-so-willing victim with a lecherous grin. That was the only warning she received before he pounced. His mouth met hers in a kiss so desperately passionate; she almost came from the onset. She whimpered in distress when he removed his mouth from hers to torment her already quivering body. His cool lips trailed moist kisses down her body, stopping to suckle her breast. His other hand teased her other nipple, pinching and pulling, until it was hard and sensitive to the slightest touch. He could feel her body start to tremble as his hands glided down her rib cage, across her thighs, and back up to the golden curls that covered her womanhood. When his fingers caressed the silken folds, before slipping a finger deep inside her, she keened in delight. He almost came when her muscles clamped down on his finer, covering it with her essence. He wanted to taste her. Angel stroked her insides with his finger searching for that one illusive spot that he knew would drive her crazy. He watched avidly as the emotions played across her expressive face. Delight, eagerness, desperation all rolled into one intense emotion. He knew the minute he found it. Her body convulsed around his finger, her teeth bit at her bottom lip to keep from screaming. He needed to taste her urgently. Unable to stand it any longer, with his finger still inside her, he kissed his way down her body until his lips came in contact with her golden curls. His tongue delved into her hot center sending flames dancing throughout her body. She came completely up off the bed the second his tongue touched her bundle of nerves. She thrashed against the arm he threw across her stomach to hold her at the mercy of his relentless tongue. There was no mercy to be found.

"Please! Please, Angel!" Her desperate cries only seemed to make him work his tongue against her swollen nub even more insistently. She quivered with pent up desire. She could almost feel her orgasm. It was that close. Her hands cupped her breasts, her head tossed back and forth, as she begged him in throaty gasps to take her and end this torture.

Even though she wanted him inside her, she still whimpered when he moved his mouth away from her, leaving her aching for his touch. "Shh, Mo Chroí. It's okay." He whispered gently. He raised his body over hers, his shaft poised at the entrance to her aching center. Buffy's arms frantically clutched his shoulders pulling his lips down to hers for a passionate kiss. She was so wet that the moment he lowered his body onto hers he slipped inside of her. Her long legs clamped around his waist bringing him closer to her. The position caused her inner muscles to tighten around his throbbing manhood. Almost immediately he set the pace, each stroke more powerful than the last. Everything inside him screamed for release. He slammed his body into hers faster and faster. He could feel the tingle that signaled the beginning of his climax. He was almost there and he wanted her with him. His hand delved between their two bodies, searching for her bundle of nerves. He stroked it lightly, then with increasing pressure wringing moans of desire from her. With one final pinch of her nub her orgasm crashed over her in waves. She cried out in ecstasy. Her body writhed beneath his until he roared his release.

He collapsed on top of her for just a second before rolling quickly to one side. He pulled her sated body close to his, entwining his fingers with hers. He kissed the top of her golden head and sighed contentedly. Even without the physical part of their relationship he would be just as happy. Because he knew nothing could compare to the exquisite sensation of being loved by Buffy.

* * *

Meanwhile, Joyce was thankful that she was able to come a day early. She had planned on being home by suppertime and surprising Buffy, so she hadn't called. Then her connecting flight was late and she was getting home at midnight instead of suppertime. She wanted to take Buffy out to eat. But she supposed it would have to wait until tomorrow.

As Joyce walked into the house, she wasn't prepared for what she would find when she checked on Buffy. Everything seemed to be fine. Nothing out of place. She went to put her suitcase in the laundry room since it was full of dirty clothes. She would wash her clothes from the trip tomorrow. She was pleasantly surprised to notice that Buffy had washed all the clothes that were in the laundry room. Buffy had never done the laundry without being told to do so before.

As she passed Buffy's bedroom door, she opened it up to check on her daughter. Whatever she thought she was going to see, she didn't. She was utterly unprepared to see a man in her daughter's room. She certainly did not expect to see a man having sex with her daughter on her bed. So, to say that Joyce was shocked when she saw them making love was an understatement. She quietly shut the door and went into her own room to think. What was she going to do? How long had this been going on? Is this what her daughter did every time she went out of town? Who was that man? Was he the only one? She would definitely have to talk to Buffy. But should she talk to her now or tomorrow? She absolutely should make an appointment for Buffy with her GYN to get on the Pill. She didn't want Buffy to go through what her and Hank went through before Buffy was born. Although, Joyce had miscarried that baby, she and Hank had been forced to marry by her parents. She wouldn't force Buffy to marry, but then again, she didn't want Buffy to get pregnant either. All of these things she would have to talk to Buffy about. She understood; she really did. She just had hoped that Buffy wouldn't make the same mistakes she did. Of course she had never told Buffy that her parents had forced her and Hank to get married when they were 16 because of the pregnancy. After the rushed wedding, she was in a car accident that had caused her miscarriage of that baby. She had been 22 before she got pregnant with Buffy. In all of their sex talks she never brought the subject up. It appeared since she kept this information to her self, Buffy was making the same mistakes. No, she would talk to her now. She walked out of her room and back to Buffy's bedroom door. Not wanting to see anything more than what she had already seen, she knocked on the door and yelled through it, "Buffy, I need to see you in my room please."

Buffy and Angel froze. "Oh, God! Angel, please tell me that was my imagination." She whispered still lying in her lover's arms.

Angel listened for a second and then said, "No. I can hear her heartbeat. And you better answer her before she opens the door thinking you're asleep."

"Ok. Mom. I'll be there in a few minutes." She yelled back. Then whispered to Angel, "Angel, we weren't exactly quiet. What if she knows?"

Angel gave her a passionate kiss and said, "Then we'll deal with it – together. Get dressed and go see what she wants. Do you want me to stay – just incase?"

Buffy nodded, "Please." After getting dressed, she turned to Angel and said, "I love you."

Angel pulled her into his arms and said, "I love you, too, Muirnín."

"Umm, you better get dressed just in case she heard us and wants to talk to you too." Buffy suggested as she took a small comfort in his embrace.

Angel nodded in agreement then kissed Buffy again.

Buffy walked into her mother's room and said, "You're home early. I wasn't expecting you home until tomorrow."

"Yeah, well, I finished a day early. Thought I'd surprise you."

"Surprise me? I'm surprised." Buffy said smiling apprehensively.

"Buffy, when I came home, I saw the house neater than it has ever been. All the dishes were washed and put away. Everything in its place – despite the fact that you had Willow and Cordelia over the other night when I called. Even all the laundry was done. Not only were all of my clothes clean and folded, but you put them on my dresser for me. I was pleasantly surprised. Then I opened your bedroom door and was dazed at what I saw."

Buffy's face lost color as she thought, _Oh my God! She __**saw**__ us!_

"Who is he, Buffy? It wasn't his face that I saw."

"Angel." Buffy answered quietly and waited for the storm to hit.

"You're history tutor?" Joyce asked half afraid of the answer. _How dare that young man seduce my young and impressionable daughter! And a teacher no less. There are all kinds of laws against this!_

"Well…" Buffy started to say, but her mother caught on and interrupted her.

"He was never your history tutor, was he?" It was more of a statement than a question.

"No, Ma'am." Buffy said quietly. While she normally wouldn't say Ma'am to her mother, she knew that she was in big trouble and thought that maybe if she used her best manners then her mother would take that into consideration.

"How long have you been dating him?" Again Joyce was afraid that her daughter was going to tell since last year when they moved to Sunnydale.

"Since the beginning of school." Buffy answered her mother but didn't offer any more information.

At least her daughter had waited a year before starting to date him. But as she thought about it, she wasn't sure if that was good or bad. "How long have you been having sex?"

Buffy blushed and timidly answered, "About a week."

"So, you decided that since I was out of town you would just sleep with the boyfriend I didn't know about?" Joyce let her anger at the situation slip through before she could stop it.

"No! It wasn't like that." Buffy protested.

Joyce sighed. She was letting her feelings get in the way. This was not how she wanted this talk to go tonight. "Buffy, I just don't want you to be making the same mistakes I did." At this Buffy looked confused. "When I was 16, I got pregnant. My parents forced your father and me to get married. Shortly after the wedding, I miscarried the baby due to a car accident. The doctors told us that it was a boy. After I was released from the hospital, I got on the Pill and finished school. It was after I went to collage and got my degree that we had you. I'm sorry, Buffy. I thought that by not telling you, that you wouldn't make the same mistakes I did. Just, please tell me that you've been careful."

_Well we haven't been using anything, but there is no danger of STDs or getting pregnant by a vampire, so I guess it wouldn't be a lie if I told her that we were careful._ Buffy rationalized. "Yes," was all that Buffy said.

"Do you love him?"

"Yes." Buffy said with conviction.

Well that was some consolation. Her daughter didn't just sleep with him because he was older. "He's older than you."

"I know." Buffy whispered. Her mother had no idea how much older Angel was and she was going to keep it that way.

"How much older is he?"

There was no way of getting around lying to her mother about this. She couldn't very well tell her that he was born in 1727. Well, if she was going to lie, might as well make him younger than he was when he was turned. "He's 24. So that makes him 7 years older."

"He looks to be 26 or 27."

Buffy fidgeted with her hands and not looking at her mother said, "I know."

"I should send him home. But I hated it when my father sent your dad home after we got caught." After a moment's thought she said, "He can stay, just promise me no more sex in this house?"

Buffy looked up shocked. _Mom's going to let him stay? In my bed? _Not wanting to give her mother the chance to change her mind, she said, "I promise."

"Does he live with his parents?"

Buffy was again shocked at the question and stumbled over the question that she hadn't thought would come up, "They, uh.., died a long time ago."

"Oh. So he lives alone?" Joyce wasn't sure why she was saddened by this. Maybe because even though she didn't know the man, the thought of him having lost his parents at such an early age was tragic.

"Yes." Buffy said as she nodded her head.

"How many times have you and Willow told me that you were at sleeping at her house and you were really at his house?" Joyce needed to know the answer to this question.

"Once. The night of my birthday." Buffy told her truthfully.

_Mom_ _is sick and if I get called to go see her, then I have to know where to get a hold of you. _Joyce couldn't get a firm grip on her emotions right now and so she wasn't going to tell Buffy about her mother being sick until she was positive she could do so with out crying. Here she was 40 years old and she was loosing her own mother to cancer and her daughter was becoming sexually active. She wasn't sure she could handle all of this. She just couldn't tell Buffy about her mother's cancer just yet. "Well, from now on, when you tell me that you are at Willow's please be there. If you're going to be spending the night with Angel, just tell me. I need to know in case of an emergency."

Buffy nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."

"We're not done with this talk. I want to talk to the both you tomorrow night at supper."

"Yes, Ma'am." Buffy said, relieved that she will be getting a break from this talk and then her and Angel could agree on how much to tell her mother about him and what lies that they would have to tell her.

"I'm going to call your father. I want him here too." Buffy nodded again. "Go on back to your room. And, Buffy, go to sleep, you have school tomorrow."

"Yes, Ma'am." Buffy said, suddenly tired and weary from their talk.

Joyce hugged her daughter and Buffy went to her room.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Last chapter I forgot to put in a translation

A/N: Last chapter I forgot to put in a translation. So I'll do it now. **Mo Chroí means My Heart.** I don't remember if **Muirnín** was in the chapter or not, but it's in this chapter and it **means beloved m4; n darling m4; n sweetheart m4 **

Irish Gaelic Translations www dot englishirishdictionary dot com

If I have missed a translation, please email and let me know so I can put in my next A/N. And correct it on any sites (message boards) that will allow me to edit my posts.

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

Angel was pacing in Buffy's room. Because of his vampiric hearing, he could hear everything that was being said. He cursed himself for not hearing Joyce come into the house. He should have heard her and then to top it off, she had opened up Buffy's door and he still hadn't heard her. _Well, I was wrapped up in Buffy and what we were doing. I wasn't paying attention to anything but us. And it could have been some demon coming in to harm her or us. Not, Devlin or Dru, but they could have gotten some demon that didn't need an invitation. I have to be more aware at all times._

When Buffy walked into her room, she went right into Angel's arms. "It wasn't as bad as I thought."

"I know I heard," Angel said as he embraced the love of his life. He wasn't sure if dinner with her parents was such a good idea, but he didn't have a choice. He just hoped that her mother didn't cook with garlic. But before he could ask Buffy about it, she said something else.

"I thought that she was going to tell me that we couldn't see each other anymore," Buffy said close to tears of relief.

"She didn't."

"No, she didn't," Buffy stood up on her tiptoes and kissed Angel. Angel picked her up and carried her to bed and laid her on it. Then he slid under the covers and just held her close to him as they both fell asleep. He would talk to her in the morning about dinner with her parents. He would endure anything to be with her.

* * *

"How was patrol last night?" Giles asked Buffy the next day at school.

"I couldn't go because my mom never called. But Angel went and he said that he didn't see Spike, Dru, or Devlin."

Giles nodded and said, "She's coming home today right? So will you patrol or will you haveto spend some time with her?"

"She actually came home last night and found Angel in my room. Both of us have to have supper with her. She even called my dad to come. I'm just wondering if he'll show up or not."

Giles looked uneasy for a moment and said, "Well I'm sure that he will come, Buffy."

Giles went into his office for a book and Willow turned to her and whispered, "She saw Angel in your room?!"

"Will, she _**saw**_ us. We were kind of preoccupied and we didn't hear her come in. _Angel_ didn't even hear her with his vampiric hearing. She even opened my door and if we hadn't had the covers on, she would have saw Angel's bare ass," Buffy said trying not to blush but failing.

"Oh my God! How much trouble are you in?"

"I'm not sure. She talked to me a little last night. She said no more sex in her house. But she let Angel stay the rest of the night."

"Wow. My mom would have _freaked_."

"I think that's coming tonight. I think she was just in shock at what she saw. And Dad. He's going to _flip_."

"Oh man. Is there something I can do?"

"Nope. We got into this ourselves. We'll get through it together."

"So he's really going to have supper with your family?"

"Yep. He said it's been over 200 years since he had dinner with a girl's parents in an effort to _woo _her," Buffy giggled at the old fashioned word that Angel had used that morning when they were talking.

"Well, let me know how it goes," Willow said looking at her best friend sympathetically.

"I will. As of right now, I have permission to spend the night with Angel as long as I'm not lying to her about where I am. She knows that I was at Angel's on my birthday and not at your house. She thinks that I corrupted you into lying for me."

"Well anytime I can help."

"Well, like I said, I think it was the shock talking. I'm sure that once my dad gets here; there will be no staying at Angel's without lying about it. Most probably there will be no _seeing_ Angel without lying about it – like on patrol."

"Maybe not."

"Maybe not what?" Angel asked as he walked into the library.

"Maybe my dad won't kill us tonight," Buffy said as the bell rang.

"Oh right," Angel mumbled.

"I've gotta get to class. Giles is in his office. He wants a patrol report," Buffy said as she got out of her seat and met Angel before he made it to Giles' office. Angel pulled her into a hug and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "Hey how did you get out of my house?"

Angel smiled, "I waited until your mother left for the gallery and went through your basement to the sewer tunnels."

"There's a sewer entrance through my basement?"

"There are some old tunnels that I found this past summer that lead to your basement."

"Oh."

"Come on, Buffy. We're going to be late for class. Remember, we'll be coming back in here after roll call. We have to work on our history papers." Willow urged.

"Right. You'll still be here, right?" Buffy asked Angel.

"I'll be in Giles' office."

"Ok. See ya in a few."

"Bye."

Buffy then ran off to class. She and Willow made it right before the Tardy Bell rang. Sure enough as soon as the roll was called, the class went to the library work on their history papers.

Buffy saw Angel and Giles in the office talking. She glanced back at her teacher and saw that the teacher was watching her, so she sat down at the computer and started to look up research on her chosen topic – Ireland in the 1700's. She glanced toward the office and saw that Giles had closed the door. She typed in "Claddagh Ring, History of" and clicked on one of the links, When she got to the bottom of the page she read,

"Today, the ring is worn extensively across Ireland, either on the right hand with the heart turned outwards showing that the wearer is 'fancy free' or with the heart turned inwards to denote that he or she is 'spoken for'. The pride of place is on the left hand, with the heart turned in, indicating that the wearer is happily married and the love and friendship will last forever, the two never separated."

She was stunned as she looked from the computer screen to the Claddagh ring that Angel had placed on her left hand last week. She got up not caring that her teacher was watching her. She went to Giles' office and opened the door without knocking.

"Well, someone needs to patrol tonight," Giles was saying.

"Angel, we need to talk," Buffy interrupted.

"Buffy," Angel said. He couldn't imagine what could be wrong, but Buffy looked upset.

"Now."

"What's wrong, Muirnín?"

Buffy looked at Giles and asked, "Can we talk alone please?"

"Uh…Sure," Giles said not sure of what was going on at all.

After Giles left his own office, Buffy calmly asked, "Why don't you tell me again what the claddagh ring is?"

"The hands are for friendship, the crown is loyalty, the heart is for love."

"Exchanged as a sign of devotion?"

"Yeah," Angel was confused. He had no idea what she was trying to say.

"Tell me, Angel, what does it mean when worn on the left hand, the heart pointing in?"

"That your heart belongs to someone."

"Belongs to someone?" Buffy asked. "Is all of that cryptic for married? Cause I'm doing a history paper on Ireland in 1700 and my research says that they were wedding rings in your day."

_So that's what all this is about. She didn't understand me when I was telling her about the ring, _Angel thought."Buffy it's not cryptic for anything," Angel sighed. "Isn't a marriage friendship, loyalty, love, and devotion?"

"Well, yeah," then it dawned on her that Angel did tell her it was a wedding ring. "Oh."

"I'm sorry if you misunderstood and I'll understand if you want to wear it on your right hand."

Buffy cut him off by kissing him, "Now why would I move my wedding ring to the wrong hand?"

"You just seemed upset."

"I was upset because I thought that you were trying to marry me without telling me," Buffy pouted.

"No. I thought you understood what I was saying."

"So by your customs, we're married?"

"Yeah."

"So we could tell Mom and Dad…"

"Buffy, if this was 1750 Ireland – yes. But even in Ireland today you need all the paperwork that goes with a wedding. You know a marriage license, and both bride and groom have to be 18 years or older. I checked. In order for us to get married legally, we have to wait until your 18th birthday, unless your parents sign their consent for you to marry. And after last night, I don't think that will happen."

"Yeah," Buffy sadly agreed as she looked down at her ring. Then she looked up into Angel's eyes, "Angel, are you saying that you want to marry me?"

Angel smiled. _After this past week she has to ask? I gave her a wedding ring and she has to ask? _Angel sat on Giles' desk, pulled Buffy to him, and said, Buffy, I love you with all that I am. I gave you a traditional wedding ring. It was my mother's wedding ring. And after this past week, I'm definitely going to have a hard time sleeping without you in my arms. So, yes, I want to marry you legally."

"We're married by your standards right?"

"In my heart, we are married, yes," Angel answered.

"We're married in my heart too."

Angel kissed her. "Anything else you need for your history paper?"

"I'll let you know," Buffy smiled.

"Go, do your class work. Giles and I have to figure out how we're going to work patrolling tonight. I really don't want him or your friends out there with Devlin still out there somewhere. He's as ruthless as I was and we're his targets. He's going to after those we care about most first and if they are patrolling then it's easier for him to get to them."

"And I'm sure that Mom and Dad won't let me out of the house for a while."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get you in trouble."

"Angel, it was me too and I'm not sorry," Buffy grinned.

Angel chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I'll patrol after we finish talking to your parents."

Buffy nodded.

Mrs. Wilson saw through the office window, Angel kiss Buffy's forehead and while she wasn't sure what was going on, she was sympathetic towards Buffy. She never believed all of the rumors that Snyder tried to spread about the young woman. She knew that Buffy had great potential. She just had to find a way to get Buffy to apply herself to her work. She gently opened the office door after lightly knocking on it and said, "Buffy, you need to come out here and do your research."

"Alright, Mrs. Wilson," Buffy said and left to go finish her research.

Giles went back into his office and closed the door so he and Angel could talk some more without anyone overhearing.

"Who is that?" Mrs. Wilson asked.

"Oh, that's Angel. He has a degree in History and I was asking him a question about my paper," Buffy said.

Mrs. Wilson knocked on the door, opened it, looked at Angel and said, "Buffy just informed me that you have a degree in history." Angel nodded and the soft-spoken teacher continued, "I was wondering if you could help out some of the students with their papers. Some of them are having a hard time finding what they need."

"Sure. I'll do what I can," Angel said. Mrs. Wilson walked back out of the office and closed the door behind her.

When Buffy sat down back down next to Willow at the computer, Willow asked, "What was all of that about?"

Buffy grinned, "Well, it seems that according to 1750 Ireland we're married."

"Married?!" A wide-eyed Willow asked.

"Yep. And to top it off, my claddagh ring, was his mother's wedding ring," Buffy said still smiling.

* * *

It was a cool winter's night when Hank parked his car in Joyce's driveway. "So, Joyce, are you going to tell me what's going on?" Hank asked as he got out of his car. Joyce was walking down the driveway towards her ex-husband, when she saw Buffy and Angel walking hand in hand down the street towards them.

"Well, let's all get inside and I'll explain everything," Joyce said as Buffy and Angel started up the driveway.

"Buffy," Hank greeted his daughter.

"Dad," Buffy said as she hugged her father. While she was shocked to see her father, she glad and nervous at the same time. She was glad that he was there, but nervous about his reaction when he found out that her mother had walked in on her and Angel making love. "This is Angel. Angel, my dad, Hank Summers."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Summers," Angel said politely and offered his hand to shake. Since he was just holding Buffy's hand, it wouldn't be cold to Hank when he shook it.

"Nice to meet you too," Hank said unsure of what was going on, but shook the young man's hand anyway.

"Angel is Buffy's boyfriend," Joyce supplied. "He'll be eating dinner with us tonight."

"So, I guess that's why I'm here? To meet Buffy's boyfriend?" Hank said confused. Joyce had never called him to come meet a boyfriend of Buffy's before.

"That's part of it," Joyce said. "Let's get inside."

Just as the words left her mouth, a gang of vampires attacked. Two vampires grabbed Joyce, while two vampires grabbed Hank. Buffy and Angel were each attacked by four more vampires. Buffy saw her parents being held by vampires and yelled out, "Angel! My parents!"

Angel quickly disposed of the vampires that he was fighting. Looked over at Buffy, saw that she was deposing of the vampires that she was fighting quickly, and went to save Joyce and Hank. He was able to dispose of one of the vampires holding Joyce quickly, but the other vampire was fighting better than the others had, so it was taking him longer to dust him.

Buffy had dusted the vampires that attacked her and then started to fight with the vampires that held onto her father. Angel and Buffy soon dusted all of the vampires. Angel looked at Buffy and said, "Devlin's boys I'm sure."

"So now he's coming after my family?" Buffy asked appalled.

"Yeah. Just like I thought he would," Angel's said, his worst fears were confirmed. Devlin had truly learned how to mentally torture his intended victim. Of course Angel had been a master at all forms of torture, and it seemed as though Devlin had learned from him after all.

"What just happened here?" Joyce asked as Hank could only stare at his daughter and her boyfriend.

"Let's get inside and we'll explain," Angel said. "Buffy, you go in with your parents. I'll call Giles to come help us," he said as he pulled a cell phone out of his coat pocket.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: _**Muirnín** is Gaelic for **Sweetheart, Beloved and Darling**. _I have it in my mind that Angel is using it to mean Sweetheart, but use endearment you like best. Translations are from www. englishirishdictionary .com If I missed a translation please let me know what word I missed so I can correct it. In the meantime, you can go to that URL to find it. When you copy and paste the url into your webbrowser, remove the spaces I put in. :-)

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

Giles, Buffy, and Angel were sitting on the couch and Hank was sitting in one recliner while Joyce was sitting in the other recliner. "Ok. Mr. Giles is here now. Somebody tell me what just happened out there? How did those men just turn to dust?" Joyce asked impatiently.

"They were vampires, Joyce," Hank said as he looked at his daughter.

The three on the couch were stunned. "Dad, you know about vampires?"

"I was attacked two weeks ago. This gang of kids saved me and told me what it was that attacked me. They said that they were vampire hunters. They fought the vampires pretty well, but you could tell that the vampires were much stronger than they were," Hank paused, not sure what to make of the realization that his petite teenage daughter was stronger than street kids. Then he continued, "You and Angel were stronger than those vampires out there. And you fought them better than the vampire hunters."

"Did you happen to get the vampire hunters names?" Buffy asked.

"I overheard one of the men call the one I talked to 'Gunn'."

"Remind me to look him up and thank him the next time I'm in L.A.," Buffy said, thankful that someone had been there to save her dad.

"Buffy, how are you stronger than the vampires that you fought tonight?" Hank asked.

"I'm The Slayer," Buffy said nervously.

Hank, who had no idea what The Slayer was, asked. "You're the what?"

"In every generation there is one girl in all the world, a Chosen One. One born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer," Giles explained. "Buffy is The Slayer."

"You said one girl. What about those kids in L.A.? And what about Angel?"

"You said yourself, Dad, that the vampires were stronger than the kids in L.A. I have the strength to fight them."

"What about Angel? He was stronger than those vamps out there."

"I'm not a Slayer. I help Buffy train, research, patrol, and fight. I'm sure that the kids in LA are only doing what they feel is necessary. Ever since Buffy moved from L.A. to here, I'm sure the vamps feel as though they have the run of the city. It may be suicide what they're doing, but they're fighting a war between good and evil. And if they are fighting and killing vamps, then I'd bet they are on our side. Buffy is needed more here on what is known as the Hellmouth, though."

"I agree, those kids seem to be fighting for the good side. If they stay in a group when they fight, then they stand a better chance of all of them coming out alive," Giles said.

"But my baby is out there doing this alone?" Joyce said.

"She has the strength and the skill to do so, Mrs. Summers," Giles assured her.

"And she's not alone. I'm out there with her," Angel stated.

"Well she doesn't have my permission," Joyce said.

Hank didn't know what to say. Buffy and Angel had never seen Giles turn so red before. So before Giles could say anything, Buffy spoke up. "Mom, it doesn't work that way. When we first moved here, I tried to quit. I wanted to have friends, I wanted to date, wanted to make good grades. I _**wanted**_ to be normal. But you know what? My first day of school, there was a boy found dead on campus. You know how he died? He had died the night before. He lost all of his blood, through two little marks in his neck. He was killed by a vampire. I tried not to care. I really did. But you know what, Mom? You and Dad didn't raise me to be that cold hearted. No matter how hard I tried not too, I cared. I cared when some vamps took Willow and I went after them. I was able to save Willow, but not her and Xander's friend Jesse. He was turned. I wasn't able to save him.

"Mom, I'm not normal. I haven't been for two years! I was called in L.A. when I was 15. I lost all of my friends, my grades dropped. And because I wasn't able to tell you and Dad about my calling, I started to get into trouble. It's not something that I can ignore. If I do the world could end—literally."

Giles agreed, "Buffy is right, Mrs. Summers. She has on several occasions stopped the world from ending or Hell being brought to this dimension. You expressed to me one time that you were afraid that Buffy had no responsibility and wasn't applying herself to her school studies. Buffy has more responsibility in her little finger than most kids do these days. Yes, she has to cut classes sometimes to fight the forces of evil, but when she is in class, she tries her best to learn everything that she should.

"Buffy is a unique Slayer. She is the first slayer that was not raised by her Watcher and she is the first Slayer to start her training after she was called. Buffy is also the first slayer to have a life outside of Slaying. And she is the strongest Slayer ever and I believe that it's because of you, Mr. Summers, Angel, Willow, Xander, Oz and Cordelia. Angel on several occasions has saved Buffy's life. And Xander even preformed CPR on Buffy once."

Buffy could tell that her mom was about to freak and her dad didn't look so well either. They both looked as if they were about to start yelling, so Buffy started talking as fast as she could explaining, "Yeah. That was another time I tried to quit. I found out about a prophecy that said that the Master would kill me. I tried to quit. I wasn't going to go fight him. But then I thought of you, Mom. And I knew that if I didn't at least try to kill the Master then you would die. And I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you. So I went to fight the Master determined that he would die along with me. He over powered me, bit me and then threw me face down into a puddle of water. He literally drowned me."

"Xander and I found her, he did CPR on her and she killed the Master," Angel finished for her.

"However, she's still The Slayer. That one minute of unconsciousness did not strip her of her Slayer skill or strength," Giles continued. "Most Slayers don't make it to age 18. Out of the few who do, most don't make it to age 22. Only one Slayer in all of history has ever made it to age 29. Only one Slayer has ever had a child, but she died at age 22 and left behind a 4 year old boy to be raised by her Watcher. Now I may not be Buffy's father. In fact, I don't have children of my own. But I do believe that Buffy has earned the right to be happy." Giles paused for a couple of seconds before continuing, "And I want to congratulate you both on raising a fine young woman. I could not have asked for a better Slayer." _Or a better daughter,_ he thought to himself.

_Oh my gosh can this conversation get any worse?_ Buffy thought.

Joyce decided to find out just how much Giles knew about Angel and Buffy's relationship. "Mr. Giles, did you know that Angel and Buffy were dating?"

"Yes, I did. I have to report to The Watcher's Council on Buffy's slayings, training and progress. They know that Angel helps her to train and slaying. They also know that along with Willow, Xander, Oz, and Cordelia, Angel helps with research. But I have her life outside of slaying out of my reports."

"Why?" Joyce curiously asked.

"I don't feel it's any of their business, Mrs. Summers."

Angel remembered about a question that Hank had asked and thought this would be a good time to explain why it was dangerous for the Council to know of his and Buffy's romantic relationship. "Mr. Summers, you asked how I was stronger than those vamps that we fought tonight. Simple. They were fledglings. Newly risen vampires. I'm a lot older than they were," Angel said as he morphed into his vamp face.

Giles quickly added, "Angel is the only good vampire that we know of. He is the only one with a Soul. However, if the Council found out Buffy's personal relationship with Angel….Well I'm not sure what would happen. A Slayer has never dated a vampire before, but I don't want to take the chance of the Council sending some one to kill Angel." _And possibly Buffy too,_ he thought to himself.

Joyce had one more question for Giles, "Did you know that Angel was having sex with my daughter?"

Angel looked down at the carpet as Buffy put her hands over her face and whined, "Moooom!"

Giles again turned red, but not so much out of anger and frustration as anger and embarrassment, "Uh.. No, Ma'am, I didn't know that." _Why didn't I know that? Surely Buffy would have told Willow and Willow can't lie to save her life, but I never asked Willow. That's why I didn't know. I didn't ask Willow._

"I guess that's why I was asked to come here tonight?" Hank asked.

"Yes," Joyce said while looking at Buffy and Angel.

"Well, I'd better be going. Just call me if you have anymore questions. Angel, walk me out will you?" Giles said as he got up to leave.

"Sure." Angel said as he thought, _Oh, boy. I'm going to die at the hands of a Watcher._

Once outside on the Summers' front porch, Giles turned to Angel and said, "Angel, I didn't say anything before, but I really didn't think that a romantic relationship between you and Buffy was a good idea. But I have overheard more than the kids think I have and it's what Buffy wanted so I kept quiet. But I have to say something now," Giles paused and looked directly into Angel's eyes. Alpha male challenging another Alpha male. "You break her heart, and I swear to you, I will personally stake you," a little bit of Ripper came through the threat.

"I understand, Giles," Angel humbly said. He understood just how Giles felt about Buffy and while he knew that if he didn't have his soul, then he would be the Alpha male of any pack of vampires that he ruled over, he would still show respect to Buffy's father figure. Angel knew that Buffy also thought of Giles as a surrogate father. He stood on the porch watching Giles making sure that he made it to his car safely. Devlin could have sent more vamps over and he wanted to be ready to fight if Giles was attacked.

When Angel walked back inside he heard Buffy tell her parents, "Never invite anyone in that you don't know. Vamps need an invite to enter a private residence and once you invite them in, they can come in anytime."

Angel sat back down on the couch next to Buffy and waited for the worst to happen.

Joyce spoke first, "I talked with Buffy a little bit last night. There will be no sex in this house. If she stays at Angel's she is to tell me that is where she is. I have made an appointment with my GYN to get her on the Pill. She was able to fit Buffy in next week." Joyce really didn't understand this slaying business at all. But as Buffy's mother she felt that she needed to try to at least understand. "Now with this slaying…I don't know. What time do you do your slaying?"

"Usually I Patrol around sunset. Sometimes I need to Patrol after midnight. It really depends on what is going on."

"What's going on right now?" Joyce asked not sure if she really wanted to know the answer but she also knew that she needed to know when to expect Buffy home and when to start worrying if her daughter was dead in a ditch somewhere. And boy did _that_ phrase take on a whole new meaning now. Now it was all too entirely possible and not just something someone said to make a loved one go on a guilt trip for being late and not calling.

"Right now?" Buffy asked and Joyce nodded.

Angel looked at a 18th century painting on the wall behind Hank and Joyce and quietly spoke up, "Right now, there is a trio of very dangerous vampires in Sunnydale. One of them has marked Buffy and me as his 'target'. We need to find him before he gets you, Mr. Summers, Giles, Willow, Xander, Oz, Cordelia, or Miss Calendar alone. If he finds you without one of us around to protect you, then you're dead. He likes to tortures his 'targets' before he kills them. And killing everyone close to the 'target' is just one of his torture techniques and it's only the first that he will use.

"The other two are just as dangerous, but I think that once we defeat Devlin, Spike and Drusilla will be a lot easier to take care of."

"So what time do you have to be patrolling?" Joyce asked.

"Well, we need to start at sunset and keep patrolling until we find out where Devlin, Dru, and Spike are," Angel said.

"So, Buffy, I won't have to reschedule your doctor's appoint. It's at 4 on Tuesday afternoon."

"It won't interfere with the slaying," Buffy said.

"I'm still not happy about this Slaying thing. But apparently I don't have a say in it," Joyce angrily said.

Hank finally spoke up, "I would love to say 'No sex,' but I know it didn't work with us and I don't expect it to work with you. So, I'm going to have to agree with your mother on the rules. No sex in either of our houses, and if you do spend the night with Angel, then we are to know that is where you are. And protection is to be used at all times."

"Angel can stay here, but when he does, Buffy, your bedroom door stays open."

Angel and Buffy nodded. Even though they didn't need to use protection, they would say that they were using to soothe her parents.

Hank thought, _I really don't want to agree to that, but he is a vampire that could hurt me if I tried to banish him from seeing my daughter. Besides, Buffy looks like she loves him like Joyce and I loved each other in the beginning. Maybe if we had these rules, things would have turned out different._ But out loud he said, "Same goes for when you're visiting my house."

Angel and Buffy nodded again.

"Buffy come help me in the kitchen," Joyce said and got up to go to the kitchen. Buffy followed her.

"Angel, I don't know you very well, but it seems as though Buffy loves you. Just what are your intentions?" Hank inquired trying to do the fatherly thing and give his daughter's boyfriend the third degree. Joyce had left the two of them together alone and he took that to mean that she wanted him to grill the vampire.

"Sir, if Buffy wanted to, I'd marry her right this second," Angel answered truthfully.

Hank's mind just raced with this news. _If she marries him, we won't have to worry about pregnancy and I wouldn't have to pay child support. _"If she agrees to that, I'll give my consent," Hank said.

Angel was surprised, "You would?"

"Yes, I will. And I will do my best to convince Joyce as well," then Hank hastily added, "But you have to make sure that she stays in school." After all he had to sound like he was doing this for Buffy's happiness and that the fact that he wouldn't have to pay child support anymore didn't have anything to do with it.

"Of course. School is important. I'll send her to any collage that she wants to go to after she graduates from high school," Angel strongly agreed.

"Fine, then we're agreed. But just so you know, I'm not going to force her to marry you. She has to want to marry you." Even though Hank was afraid of the vampire in front of him, he was against forced marriage. He had been forced to marry Joyce and it ended badly. He didn't want Buffy to go through the same thing. Even if it meant him having to pay child support for the next year.

"Yes, Sir. I understand," Angel was shocked that her parents were taking this so well. He had been expecting to be staring at the business end of a shotgun. Well ok that was before they found out that he was a vampire. After he revealed to them that he was a member of the undead, he thought for sure that Hank would stake him. He knew that things had changed since his day, but he didn't think that they had changed that much. He had no idea that Hank was being this compliant because he was afraid of what the vampire would do to him if he didn't agree to everything.

* * *

In the kitchen Buffy and Joyce were preparing the salad. Joyce noticed the claddagh ring on Buffy's left hand. "That's a pretty ring. Where did you get it?"

"You mean the claddagh?"

"Yeah."

"Angel gave it to me for my birthday," Buffy smiled.

Joyce nodded. "He's not 24 is he?"

Buffy sighed, "No, but you wouldn't have believed me if I had told you how old he really was."

"How old is he?"

"He was born in Ireland in 1727 and he was turned in 1753."

"Wow. So he's over 200?" Joyce asked shocked. Her baby's boyfriend was older than the United States of America.

"Yeah."

"Did he tell you what the claddagh meant?" Joyce asked. She didn't know Angel well enough to make a judgment on this kind of thing. Who was she kidding? She didn't know him at all. But she was determined to fix that. She would get to know him.

"Yes. Why?"

"Well, in my line of work, I've heard of the claddagh and I know the history behind it. And I was just wondering if you knew."

Buffy looked up from dicing tomatoes and said, "If this was 1700's Ireland, we would have been married when he gave me the ring."

Joyce nodded. "Are you that serious about your relationship with him?"

"Yes I am and I really don't think he would have given me his mother's wedding ring if he wasn't. But I'm too young to get married legally without your and Dad's permission."

_I was a year younger when I married her father. But look how that turned out. But then again, Mr. Giles said that she might not live that much longer. I want her to be happy._ "Do you think that you could be happy being married to Angel?"

"Yes," Buffy replied without hesitation, but she was confused by the question.

"I don't mean for just a few years, Buffy. I mean for the rest of your _**long **_life," Joyce stressed the word long. If she had anything to do with it, Buffy would out live her.

"Mom, you heard Giles. Slayers don't have a long life expectancy," Buffy had long ago resigned herself to that fact, now she was trying to prepare her mother.

"Buffy, Mr. Giles also said that you are different from other Slayers. Now I believe that you will grow old and die of natural causes," Buffy smiled at her mother. "Now, do you think that you could be happy with Angel as you age and he stays looking 26?"

"Yes," Buffy answered again without hesitation.

"You would have to stay in school."

Buffy was confused so she looked up and asked, "What?"

"If I were to give you permission to legally marry Angel, one of the conditions would be that you stay in school," Joyce said as she looked into her daughter's eyes.

Buffy raised an eyebrow, "Ok. Um. What about Dad?"

"You let me deal with him. You just be sure that Angel is as serious as that ring implies."

Buffy smiled. "Thanks, Mom," she said as she hugged her mother.

* * *

After a pleasant dinner, Buffy and Angel left to patrol and Hank stayed to help Joyce clean up the dishes. As they cleaned the dishes from dinner, Hank talked to Joyce about letting Buffy and Angel marry now instead of making them wait a year and them getting married with or without their permission. At least this way they could make sure that Buffy stayed in school. Also Buffy would be happy and they wouldn't force this on them.

Joyce let Hank talk and then agreed to what he was saying. She just let him believe that he had talked her into it.

* * *

When Buffy and Angel returned from patrol, Buffy was covered in purple slime. "You know, it's not fair. Why am I covered in purple slime and you're not?"

"Because I was far enough away when you beheaded the Mataza Niño Diablo," Angel answered with a smile.

"I feel all gross and yucky."

"I think you're beautiful covered in demon slime."

"That's…sweet…gross, but sweet," Buffy said.

Angel smiled, "Go get cleaned up before you start itching. The blood of Mataza Niño Diablo will make you itch if you don't wash it off quickly."

"Ok. I'm going to go take a shower," Buffy smiled as she stood up on her tiptoes to get a quick kiss from her lover.

As Angel watched Buffy walk up the stairs, Joyce and Hank entered the foyer from the living room and saw their daughter covered in the demon's purple slimy blood.

"What is that all over her?" Joyce asked.

"Oh, Uh… We killed a Mataza Niño Diablo." When he saw their confused faces he said, "They're usually only in South America, but we killed it before we found out why it was here." Joyce and Hank still had blank faces waiting for information, so Angel continued, "They kill children and eat their brains." Joyce's face went pale. "Don't worry, it's dead. When Buffy killed it, its blood splattered all over her."

"Ok. All you had to say was that she had demon blood all over her," Hank said.

"Oh well, I misunderstood. I thought you were asking what kind of demon."

"I'm going to go get her a towel from the laundry room," Joyce said. She went down to the laundry room, grabbed a couple of towels from the dryer and walked up the stairs to the bathroom door and knocked, "Buffy, I have some towels for you."

Buffy opened the door and took the towels and said, "Thanks, Mom."

* * *

As Buffy showered, Hank and Joyce talked with Angel. "Angel, I've talked with Joyce and I've convinced her that Buffy's happiness comes first. So we will sign any forms we need to for Buffy and you to get married—_**if**_ that is what Buffy wants—as long as she stays in school. However, as her parents, we need to know, how are you going to support her?" Hank asked.

Angel was visibly uncomfortable, "I have several investments and I own a few businesses. If you're worried about Buffy not getting everything that she needs, you don't need to. Buffy will never want for anything."

"Do you mind us asking which businesses you own?" Joyce asked.

"Well, Buffy and I haven't really talked about this so she doesn't know, but if it will help to put your minds at ease, I own The Bronze, L.A.M. Jewelry, Kathy's Emporium, Sean's Men's Wear, Ashlyn's Restaurant, just to name a few here in Sunnydale. If you want to know everything that I own, you can check under MacKenzie Enterprises."

"You own the most expensive and from what hear, the best restaurant in town?" Joyce asked impressed.

"Well, I wouldn't know about the best…" Angel said modestly.

"Well, my clients are always impressed when we come up here for dinner at Ashlyn's," Hank said.

If a vampire could blush, Angel would have been blushing. "It's just authentic old Irish cooking."

"The way your mother cooked?" Joyce asked genuinely curious.

"Well, the way our servant cooked," Angel shrugged.

After half an hour, Buffy came into the living room dressed in a pair of gray sweet pants and a T-Shirt. "Well, I feel all better now," she announced as she looked at her parents and the love of her life.

"Well, I have an early appointment in the morning and it's a thirty minute drive to L.A. and another half hour to the house. I wanted to tell Buffy bye before I left though." Hank gave his daughter a hug and said, "Call me when you get a break in Slaying and you can come see me."

Buffy smiled, "OK." She was surprised that he actually came over and then stayed to say goodbye to her. Her father seemed too busy for her lately. So it was a nice surprise to see him take the time out of his schedule to come and play the part of the father that he was supposed to be.

* * *

After Hank left, Buffy and Angel went upstairs to Buffy's room and Angel called Giles to tell him about the Mataza Niño Diablo while Buffy did her homework. Joyce was downstairs in her office on her computer. She looked up MacKenzie Enterprises and sure enough, it listed all the businesses that were owned by Angel. It listed everything that Angel had told her and Hank and more. It seemed as though Angel also owned some rental houses as well as an apartment complex. He also owned more businesses than what he had told them. Some of his businesses were national and he even had a couple international businesses. If Angel was indeed the owner of MacKenzie Enterprises as he claimed to be, and at this point Joyce had no reason not to believe him, then he was very rich. She was very impressed. Of course, he had been alive for more than 200 years. He had to have made money some how. And he seemed to be very good at investing his money.

After Buffy finished her homework, Angel debated on whether or not to tell her now or wait until later to tell her that her parents had agreed to sign the consent forms for her to marry him. He decided to wait. They climbed into bed and fell asleep in each others' arms with her bedroom door opened. When Joyce passed by Buffy's room an hour later, she couldn't help but notice that Buffy was smiling in her sleep. She also noticed how comfortable the couple looked and how they looked like they belonged in each other's arms.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: _**Muirnín** is Gaelic for **Sweetheart, Beloved and Darling**. _I have it in my mind that Angel is using it to mean Sweetheart, but use endearment you like best. Translations are from www. englishirishdictionary .com If I missed a translation please let me know what word I missed so I can correct it. In the meantime, you can go to that URL to find it. When you copy and paste the url into your webbrowser, remove the spaces I put in. :-)

* * *

Chapter 5

* * *

The next morning after Buffy went to school, Angel called and made reservations for two at Ashlyn's. He would take Buffy to dinner and tell her that her parents agreed to them making their marriage legal. He also called Kathy's Emporium and told them that if Buffy Summers came into the store, then to let her get anything that she wanted and then set the receipt aside for him. Just have her sign the back of the receipt. He would take care of it. He then went to L.A.M. Jewelry and picked out a ring for Buffy. Sure, he had already given her his mother's wedding ring and by that, they were married in their hearts, but Buffy also deserved to have a ring of her own.

He then went to the school and waited for her in the library. When she finally made her way to the library, he pulled her into Giles' office, gave her a hug and asked, "How would you like to have dinner with me tonight. Just the two of us?"

"Sure," Buffy grinned.

"Great. I've made us 7:30 reservations."

"Reservations, huh? Do I need to wear something fancy?"

Angel smiled and said, "Yep. If you want, go to Kathy's Emporium and pick out something."

"Angel, I can't afford anything from Kathy's Emporium."

"Tell them who you are and sign the back of the receipt and I'll take care of it. I've already talked to them about it," Angel said.

Angel had already talked with Giles and told him what he had planned. Giles had agreed to let Buffy out of training early so she could get ready.

* * *

After Buffy had finished her training, she, Willow and Cordy went to Kathy's Emporium. After trying on several different dresses, Cordy and Willow told her that they liked the red, sleeveless floor length dress best on her. It was a fitted straight dress that had a round neck cut with see through mesh neckline that had red sequined flowers on the mesh part. The mesh covered the neckline and the upper chest making a "V" cut with lycria material, the back had the see through mesh to make a low cut back. Buffy decided to get the dress and signed the back of the receipt like Angel had told her to do. Angel had given her some money to get her hair done and a facial at the Clinique counter in Macy's. After her facial and hair appointment, she went home, changed into her new dress and put on a pair of red heels that tied around the ankles. The hair saloon had also given her a manicure. They had curled her hair and piled half of it on top while leaving half hanging loose around her shoulders. As she descended the stairs, her mother looked up, grinned and said, "Wow."

"I don't know how he can afford all of this," Buffy stated nervously.

"Buffy, when a man buys you expensive gifts, don't ask how he can afford it, just accept it," Joyce suggested.

"Do you know something I don't?" Buffy asked. She noticed a glint in her mother's eye. "Do you know where he's taking me?"

"Yes. I do. He told me this morning."

"Where?"

"You'll see," Joyce grinned as the doorbell rang. Joyce opened the door and let Angel in.

Angel was wearing a black suit and held a single red rose in his hand. He was astonished at how beautiful Buffy looked. When she reached the bottom step, Angel handed her the rose and said, "This is for you."

Buffy smiled, "Thank-you."

"We better get going if we're going to make our reservations on time," Angel said.

They walked out of the house and Buffy saw a black 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX Convertible on her driveway. "You own a car?"

Angel smiled, "Yes, I own a car."

"Why haven't I ever seen you drive it?" She asked as Angel opened the passenger's door for her.

"Because we have always walked everywhere. Tonight we are going to do this right. We're just a normal couple going out together."

"I think I like the sound of that," Buffy grinned as she buckled up.

Angel got behind the driver's seat and drove off toward the restaurant. When Angel drove into the valet parking at Ashlyn's, she was surprised. _Where is he getting the money for all of this?_ She wondered. When they got inside, the maitre de took one look at them and without saying a word, showed them to a table for two with candlelight, in a private room. "I hope you enjoy your meal, Ma'am. Your waiter will be with you shortly."

"Thank you," Buffy smiled.

"Is there anything I can bring out to you, Sir?" The maitre de asked Angel.

"Bring out the best red wine, please," Angel replied.

Buffy looked at the beverages on the menu and asked, "Could you bring me some sparkling grape juice, please?"

"Yes, Sir, Ma'am. Anything else, Sir?"

"Not right now. Thank you."

The maitre de left and a few minutes later, the waiter came out with some red wine for Angel and some sparkling grape juice for Buffy.

"My name is Jack. I'll be your server. Are you ready to order?"

"Give us a few minutes, Jack," Angel said and the waiter left.

Buffy looked back at the menu and it read, "Traditional Authentic Irish Cuisine" she asked, "Have you eaten here before?"

Angel smiled, "Yes."

"So is it really Traditional Authentic Irish Cuisine, like when you were growing up or is it a newer Traditional Authentic Irish Cuisine?"

Angel smiled and replied, "It's food like I ate before I was turned. Although I'm not sure if it tastes exactly the same. My taste buds filter out regular food. While I can eat regular food, I can't really taste it."

"Oh, I see," Buffy said. "Well, do they have what your favorite dish was?"

Without looking at the menu, Angel answered, "Yes. They do."

"Well, what was your favorite meal?"

"I liked Glens of Antrim Irish Stew, Baked Salmon, and World's Finest Chocolate Gateau with Double Cream."

The waiter took their order and came back a few minutes later with two bowls of the stew. "How is it?" Angel asked.

"It's delicious," Buffy replied.

"Buffy, I know the last couple of nights have been…stressful, but I wanted you to know that no matter what, I love you."

"I love you, too, Angel."

The waiter came back with the main course of the Baked Salmon and took away the stew bowls, and refreshed their drinks. As they ate the main course, Angel thought about what he was going to say. He wasn't sure how to say what he wanted to say without sounding as if her parents wanted to try to force the issue. He wanted to be sure that she knew he wanted this. From their talk in Giles' office yesterday morning, he felt pretty sure that she wanted it. "You know that we are already married by my traditions and in my heart."

Buffy nodded her head, not entirely sure where this was going. Ok. So she had an idea, but she didn't want to get her hopes up.

Angel continued, "But we're not married by your traditions or according to the law. After talking with your father, he agreed to sign the necessary paperwork to give consent for us to get married legally. He talked with your mother and she gives her consent also. But they only do so if this is what you want. I know it's what I want, so I'm asking you," Angel got down on one knee, pulled a ring box out of his suit jacket pocket and opened it up to show a white gold ring with a three carrot round cut diamond in the middle with two smaller oblong diamonds surrounding it. "Buffy Anne Summers, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife."

Buffy wanted to say yes, but found that her voice wouldn't work. She stared at Angel through tears of joy and nodded her head yes and gave him a hug and kissed him passionately. Only after the kiss did she find her voice. "Yes, Angel. I'll marry you legally, even though we are already married in my heart too."

Angel smiled in relief, "Just name the day, place and time and I'll be there."

Buffy smiled and gave him another kiss. The waiter brought out their desert and Angel explained how Hank had agreed to the wedding and said that he would talk to Joyce. He also said that when they got back from patrol last night, and while she was taking her shower, Joyce and Hank both said that she had to stay in school. He also told her that he would pay for her collage education and that she could go anywhere she wanted to.

"Ok. If our marriage is going to be legal, I think I have a right know. How can you afford all of this?" Buffy asked going against her mother's advice.

Angel smiled, "Well, let's just say that I've made some good investments over the years."

Buffy smiled at his cryptic answer. She knew that she would find out later how he could afford all of this. The waiter brought out the check and Angel signed the back of it, then left a twenty-five percent tip. Angel and Buffy went back to Angel's apartment for the rest of the night. Angel had told her that he had talked with Joyce and told her that they would be spending the night at the apartment. Joyce had packed her an overnight bag that Angel had brought over to his apartment earlier. When Buffy opened the bag, she saw a note from her mother.

_Buffy,_

_Congratulations. Remember your father and I will give you permission, but we will not force you to marry. And you only have permission if you __**stay in school!**_ _Remember to be careful and you better be in school tomorrow. I will call and check._

_Love, _

_Mom_

_P.S. I saw the ring – WOW:-)_

As Buffy finished reading the note, Angel put his arms around her waist pulling her to him so that he could plant light, teasing kisses on the back of her neck. Unable to resist the temptation, Angel stroked the soft skin of her neck with his tongue before nipping gently. He could actually feel the tremors rushing through her body. The need to kiss her was overwhelming. He turned her around to face him his lips meeting hers immediately. He devoured her mouth with hungry, passionate kisses.

She felt so good in his arms. The little purring sounds that she was making were driving him crazy. He had to feel her skin next to his. And from the way Buffy's hands were trembling as she tried to unbutton his shirt Angel knew she felt the same way. As their tongues dueled for dominance neither one really noticed as their clothes slid silently to the floor, except to sigh with delight as bare skin touched bare skin.

Angel laid Buffy gently on his bed. His hands immediately started to roam her nude body, wringing moans of pleasure from her. Her hands reached for him desperately trying to pull him towards her. He quickly pushed her hands away. He didn't want her touching him, at least not yet. With just a look he let her know to keep her hands at her side. He almost smiled at the pout that graced her swollen lips. Bending his head towards her, he gently caressed her lips with his tongue before gliding it lovingly down the side of her neck. He licked his way down her trembling body, stopping ever so often to place moist kisses on her tender skin. He watched with pure male delight as Buffy writhed on his bed. Her body shook with barely controlled passion. Angel loved the way she gave her body over to him without reservation.

Unable to stand the agony of not only keeping her waiting but himself as well, he kissed his way back up her passion slicked body. Angel almost growled as he slid into her welcoming heat. He had to grit his teeth to keep his orgasm in check as her muscles immediately contracted around him. He began to move ever so slowly. His gently thrusts caused Buffy to cry out in frustration. All of a sudden her legs wrapped around his waist pulling him closer to her. The position drove him even deeper into her moist heat. They both moaned as desire rocketed through their bodies. He couldn't stop himself. He plunged in and out of her slick entrance, going deeper with each thrust. The trembling in her body signaled the start of her orgasm. Buffy screamed his name as her orgasm hit. He shuddered, tightly griping her hips as he slammed once more into her passion soaked body. Roaring with his release, he collapsed on top of Buffy for just a moment before quickly rolling onto his side, pulling her closer to him. He kissed her softly on her lips, swollen from his kisses. She sighed contentedly, snuggling down into his embrace.

* * *

"Hello," Giles answered the phone just as Buffy walked into the library the following morning. "Yes, Mrs. Summers, she just walked in. Hang on a moment. Buffy your mother wishes to speak with you."

"Hi, Mom…Yes I made it to school on time…Dinner was fabulous…Yes…Ok…Love you too. Bye."

"What was all that about?" Willow asked.

"I stayed at Angel's last night and she wanted to make sure I made it to school on time." Buffy informed her best friend.

As Buffy put her books down on the table, Cordelia grabbed Buffy's hand and shouted, "WOW! Where did _you_ get that rock?!"

"Um…Angel gave it to me last night." Buffy grinned and paused before she continued, "When he took me to Ashlyn's."

"WOW!" Willow said as she got a turn to look at the ring gracing Buffy's left ring finger. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

"Well, if you think it means that he asked to marry him and I said yes and my mom and dad are going to sign the consent forms, then yes it means what you think it means." Buffy grinned.

"That looks to be at least three carrots," Cordelia said.

"Where did he get the money for that?" Xander tactlessly asked.

"Xander! That's none of our business," Willow reprimanded their friend. The bell rang and Willow said, "Come on we have to get to class." Buffy, Cordelia, Xander, and Oz followed Willow out of the library.

Oz caught up with Buffy and said, "Congratulations."

Buffy grinned as she replied, "Thanks, Oz."

When Buffy and Willow's class entered the library, Angel was talking with Giles' in his office. They were still researching why a Mataza Niño Diablo would be on the Hellmouth. They were baffled at why one would be this far North when they most North they ever went was Mexico. Giles had stayed all night to try to find an answer and had come up empty.

"Wow! Who is _that_ in there with Mr. Giles? He's hot!" one of the girls in the class said.

"I don't know, but if you had been here for the past two days, you would have seen him." Another girl answered her.

"Can I help it if I was sick?"

"I think he's Mr. Giles assistant or something," said one of the boys.

Buffy and Willow just smiled at each other and went to the computer. Buffy typed something in the search engine and then started to click on one of the links when another link caught her eye -- _MacKenzie Enterprises_. Just out curiosity, she clicked on the link. She found the page with all of the businesses that were owned by MacKenzie Enterprises. Her jaw dropped.

"Is this part of your research or are you just being nosey?" Angel whispered in her ear.

Buffy was startled. "I…well…uh…," she stumbled.

Angel smiled, pointed to a link, and whispered, "Click there and when you're asked for a password, type in your birth date using numbers."

Buffy did as she was told and was flabbergasted. Angel had directed her to the owner's private page with all of the finical reports for each location of each business. And to top it off it said the owner of MacKenzie Enterprises was Liam Angelus MacKenzie. "You own all this?" she whispered.

"I told you I made some good investments," Angel stated. "Only you and I can get to that page. We'll talk more about this later. Giles and I need to see you in the office."

Buffy signed out of the page, closed it down, and then followed Angel into Giles' office.

"Buffy, uh…Angel and I think that the Mataza Niño Diablo that you killed the other night was just a scout. We shouldn't have to worry anymore unless the rest of the clan come looking for him."

"You mean no more 'Purple Slime Guy'?"

Giles and Angel chuckled and Giles said, "Yes, no more 'Purple Slime Guy'. But I still want you and Angel to keep an eye out when you're patrolling."

"Alright. Anything on where Devlin, Drusilla, and Spike are?"

"No, not yet. I have threatened Willy and he either doesn't know or isn't talking. And I've asked around and nobody's talking," Angel said.

"Ok. So we continue to look for them tonight," Buffy said.

"Muirnín, before you go, uh, the only people that know that I own MacKenzie Enterprises are you and your parents. They asked how I was going to support you, so I told them about MacKenzie Enterprises. I really don't want it to get around that I own it," Angel whispered into his ear as he embraced her.

"Ok. I won't say a word," Buffy smiled.

"Thank you."

"I'll see you later. I got to get back to my paper."

"Ok."

When Buffy sat back down at the table, someone else had already gotten on the computer, so she looked over her notes. The girl who had been absent the past couple of days asked, "Buffy, who was that guy?"

"Who? Angel?"

"Is that his name?"

"Yes."

"I'll be right back. I'm going to catch me an Angel," she smiled.

"Uh, Janet, he's engaged," Willow informed her.

"How do you know?"

"Because he and his fiancée are friends of mine," Willow said as Buffy just stared daggers into Janet.

"Well when I get through with him, he won't remember her name," Janet said as she strutted off to the office. She opened the office door without knocking and said, "Excuse me, Angel, isn't it?"

Angel looked up from the book he was reading and said, "Yes?"

"Um. I need some help with 1890s Romanian Gypsies. Could you help out?"

If Angel could have gone any paler, he would have. He quickly said, "Uh, that's not really a subject I'm familiar with. Sorry." While he was very familiar with the Romanian Gypsies in 1890's he didn't want to do any research on them. It was something in his past that he would rather keep in his past.

"Well, could you show me where I could find some books on the Romanian Gypsies?" Janet asked as she tried to be sexy but really looked like a fool.

"Uh…" _I really don't want to, but Giles is busy with another student and Buffy and Willow are busy on their own papers._ Angel sighed and said, "Sure. Follow me."

Buffy saw Janet and Angel go into the stacks and followed them. She heard Angel say, "On this shelf are the books on Romania. I'm not sure if any them will have what you need or not, but you're welcome to look through them."

"Thank you," Janet said, again trying to look sexy but once again, she only looked like a fool. She moved so close to Angel that he backed into a shelf.

When Buffy turned the corner, she saw that Janet was standing so close to Angel that she was practically touching him. Angel looked like a rat trapped by the cat and was trying to find a polite way out. Just as Janet started to kiss him, he said, "Uh.. listen, I can't really help you anymore. I need to get back to the office and do some work."

"You can do some work with me," Janet seductively said.

Before Buffy could say something, Angel said, "No. No. I can't. I've really got to go." Angel tried to leave, but Janet blocked his path.

"Janet, I believe Angel said he had some work to do in the office. If I were you, I'd let him go. Willow told you that he was engaged. Now. Leave. Him. Alone."

"She just said that because she's jealous."

"No she didn't." Buffy and Angel said together. Janet stared at them. Buffy smiled. When she "gently" pushed Janet aside, Janet saw the engagement ring. She gave Angel a kiss and then said, "I need some help on my paper if you have the time, if not, then you can help me tonight."

"I'll help you tonight. I think I may be onto something with what we were talking about earlier in the office."

"Devlin?"

Angel nodded and said, "I need to finish translating something."

"Ok."

"Muirnín, come by for lunch, I'll still be here."

Buffy smiled, "Ok."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Janet stood there dumfoundedly. She always got the man she wanted. How dare Buffy come in and take what _she_ wanted. Angel and Buffy left Janet standing in the aisle and walked in the direction of the office.

* * *

_**Author's Notes: I know I usually don't put notes in my chpater here on but I need some suggestions. If you want to see more of Janet, just give me some ideas on what to do with her. I can always go back and add her in. I do have Book 1 finished and it's at the betas, but we are going chapter by chapter. **_

_**Also just FYI, no more NC-17 until Chapter 9.**_

_**And I would also like to thank Tani who re-wrote the NC-17 scene after I butchered it. Hey it was only my first try and she fixed it up real nice-like for me. :-)**_

_**Oh that smiley emoticon that I just did remided me of something. In Joyce's note, she drew a huge smiley face at the end. The smiley face is on my webapge along with pictures of Buffy's engagemnet ring, the dress that she bought, and a pic for each chapter so far. I'm not too good at describing these things, so if you can see the pictures it's better. :-)**_

_**One last thing before I leave and post this. Thank you so much to those who have reviewed. I'm getting these chapters up as soon as I get them back from the betas and get the mistakes fixed. Please keep reviewing. There were a few people who I didn't get to respond to, but I try to respond as soon as I get the review. I'm sorry I didn't get to respond to you. I just wanted to let you know that I did get to read the review (I have them sent to my email box) and it brightened up my day as soon as I read it. My life has been busy lately and I've been having a hard time with some things, not to mention that my emails were deleted accidently before I could respond. Please for give me for not responding to you in a timely maner.**_

_**Until next Chapter,**_

_**Mac :-) hugs**_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A/N: Welcome to my new betas, Charlotte, SerenityAngel44, and Michebabyblue. I need all betas to send me Chapter 7 and 7b. I will be combing them into one chapter. Oh and all my betas might want to reread this chapter. I had one beta suggest a new ending and I took her advice. So you all might want to reread it. LOL

A/N #2: I just updated with the name of my thrid new beta and made sure that the scene deviders were update with the new regulations. There is no change in the chapter itself.

A/N #3: _**Muirnín** is Gaelic for **Sweetheart, Beloved and Darling**. _I have it in my mind that Angel is using it to mean Sweetheart, but use endearment you like best. Translations are from www. englishirishdictionary .com If I missed a translation please let me know what word I missed so I can correct it. In the meantime, you can go to that URL to find it. When you copy and paste the url into your webbrowser, remove the spaces I put in. :-)

* * *

**Chapter 6**

* * *

At lunch time, Buffy walked into the library where Giles and Angel were discussing a new prophecy.

"What's the stitch?" Buffy asked.

"It seems as though Devlin, Dru and Spike have left town; Angel found a prophecy in the codex that puts them in Jamaica about this time. We have alerted Kendra and her watcher, hopefully she can take care of them," Giles said.

"Well, that's good. At least we don't have to worry about them anymore. Kendra's good. She'll stop them," Buffy watched as her fiancé and watcher exchange worried glances, "Right?"

"Right, I'm sure that Kendra will stop them," Giles said uncomfortably.

Angel walked over and gave Buffy a hug as the rest of the gang walked into the library.

"What's going on?" Xander asked.

"We have reason to believe that Devlin, Dru, and Spike are no longer in Sunnydale," Giles said.

"Well that's good," Oz commented.

* * *

Angel looked up from his paperwork, watched as his fiancée while she slept on his bed, and then looked back down at his paperwork. Most Saturdays at this time he would be going over the books of the companies that he owned through MacKenzie Enterprises but, today, he was checking out a new type of glass that had been rumored to protect vampires from sunlight. Necro-tempered glass was supposed to be thirty percent energy efficient and keep out the harmful rays of the sun while allowing the light in.

When Buffy woke up Angel asked, "Buffy, would you please take my car to Sunnydale Auto-Glass for me? I can pick it up Monday evening."

"Sure. But why?"

"Well, when I was in Willy's a few days ago I over heard a vampire talking about this new type of glass: Neo-Tempered Glass. Apparently a law firm in L.A. has it installed in their offices. It allows the sunlight in without burning vampires. I checked around and Sunnydale Auto-Glass said that they have installed it into some cars already. The guy that I talked to said that they can replace all of the windows in my car by Monday sunset."

Buffy grinned, "That's wonderful, Angel. Maybe we can find someone to replace the windows here and in my mom's house."

Angel smiled, "Maybe."

* * *

"Come on, Giles. You've been just as much of a father to me as my dad and he's ok with it, and even if he wasn't, it's _my_ wedding, it's not like I'm leaving him out; I'm including both of you," Buffy was babbling as Willow and Oz walked into the library.

"Well…"

"Giles, please, please walk me down the aisle."

"How will this work again?"

"My dad will be on my left side and you will be on my right side. I want the both of you to walk me down the aisle."

"I've already agreed to be Angel's Best Man, Buffy."

"I know and you'll take your place as the Best Man after you give me away with my dad," Buffy smiled.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" he asked, weakening.

"Yes."

"Then I'd be honored to give you away with your father."

Buffy screamed and pulled Giles into a hug, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Well, it looks like we have a happy bride-to-be," Willow said.

"Willow! My Maid-of-Honor, I need you to go shopping with me for the dresses for you and Cordelia."

"When?"

"This afternoon. Kathy's Emporium is expecting us and we are to charge it to my new account there."

"So I don't have to pay for this dress at Kathy's Emporium?"

"Nope. It's being taken care of," Buffy assured her.

"Great! There's nothing better than shopping with other people's money," Willow joked.

Both girls laughed as Cordelia and Xander walked into the library. "Oh, Cordy, we're going shopping for Bridesmaids' dresses this afternoon, can you come?" Buffy asked.

"Sure, someone has to show you what's fashionable," Cordelia snipped, casually. While she really did want to go shopping with them, she had to act like it was chore. After all, she had a reputation to protect.

"Great!" Buffy said. The she turned to Oz and Xander, "Oz, Xander, have you both been fitted for your tuxes yet?"

"Yes," they said in unison.

"Do we have a date yet?" Xander asked.

"Yes, we do. March 21. It's the soonest my dress could be ready, and don't worry Oz, we checked the calendar and the full moon is the following week."

"Cool," Oz said.

"And where are we having this wedding?" Xander asked.

Buffy frowned, "We're not sure yet. It's not like either of us belong to a church and we just haven't found the perfect place yet."

* * *

"Oh, Angel, this is perfect! I love the gardens!" Buffy exclaimed.

Angel, who was standing behind Buffy, wrapped his arms around her waist, "Would you like to see the inside?"

"Sure," Buffy said.

"It needs some work, but that just means that we can fix it up the way we want it," Angel said as he opened the door.

"Oh, Angel, I love it!"

Angel led her down a hallway on the first floor and opened a door. "This could be a library where we could do research on all the demons. We can move all the occult and demonology books of Giles' in here if he wants to. That way when he stays up all night researching, he can use one of the bathrooms to freshen up or even use a bed in one of the spare bedrooms."

"Angel, you're not talking about fixing this place up for the wedding are you?" Buffy asked stunned.

"Nope. How would you like to live here?"

"Angel, it's so big for just the two of us."

Angel pulled her into another room. "This is the ballroom, but I thought we could use it as a training room. That way you wouldn't have to worry about some one coming in the library at school while you are training."

"Angel, I love it! I don't think that Giles is going to want to move his books though, but we can probably convince him to move training to here," Buffy said.

"So, would you like to live here?" Angel asked.

Buffy looked at Angel and could tell he really wanted to live here. And while it was a big place it was secluded and he was right, the ballroom would make the perfect training room. And she was marrying the perfect training partner. She smiled and said, "It's perfect."

Angel grinned, "Great! Let me show you the master bedroom." And he led her up the stairs.

Buffy saw a beautiful king sized brass four poster bed and exclaimed, "Oh, Angel! Does the bed come with it?"

"Everything that is here comes with the house."

"Oh and it has a balcony!" Buffy said excitedly.

Angel pulled out his cell phone as Buffy went to check out the balcony. He called the realtor only to find out that he was pulling up the driveway. Angel told him that they were on the second floor.

When the realtor caught up to Buffy and Angel he said, "I'm sorry I'm late, traffic was horrible."

"That's okay," Buffy said.

"My fiancée has decided that we'll take it," Angel said.

"Oh great. I brought the paper work with me like you asked, Mr. MacKenzie. We can go downstairs and sign the papers on the kitchen counter if you like."

"This is her wedding present; I want only her name on the deed."

"Alright," The realtor said. Buffy signed the paperwork and Angel wrote a check for the amount that the realtor told him.

"You can move in anytime."

"Great. Thanks," Angel smiled as the realtor left.

"Oh we're not going to convert the ballroom into our training room until after the wedding," Buffy said.

"Why?" Angel asked sounding a little disappointed.

"Because the ballroom will be perfect for the reception," Buffy smiled.

"So you want the wedding here?" Angel asked confused.

"The gardens are perfect for the ceremony and the ballroom will be perfect for the reception," Buffy said dreamily.

"You know why I put the deed in your name only," Angel said and then went on to explain. "So that vampires would need an invitation to come in. If my name was on the deed, then they wouldn't need an invitation."

"Ok. You know since we will be living this far away from the school, I'll need to drive to school."

Angel smiled, "Are you asking for a car?"

Buffy shook her head, "No, just permission to drive your car to and from school."

Angel frowned and said, "You'll have your own car. Whatever you want. Just go by the dealership and pick it out."

"Well, lets go before they close. Then we can patrol and then go back to your apartment…" Buffy trailed off.

Angel smiled and kissed her.

* * *

Joyce watched as a red 1998 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra Convertible with chrome detailing drove into the driveway with the top down and Buffy in the driver's seat. She went outside to the porch and asked, "What is this?"

"My new car. Angel just bought it for me," Buffy answered with a grin on her face.

Joyce signed and watched as Angel got out of his car and said, "Angel,"

"Before you say anything, Joyce," Angel interrupted and jogged up to where Joyce was inspecting her daughter's gift. "We just found a house and it's too far for her to walk to school. And she's not driving my classic to school."

Joyce rolled her eyes. _Men and their toys. Apparently, being a vampire didn't take away the love of cars away from them. You would think that being over 200 years old, he wouldn't get attached to the different forms of transportation._ "I still say that you are spoiling her. Come inside and tell me all about this house you found."

* * *

A/N #4: I know I promised tat this chapter would be up a couple of weeks ago and ít's late, I'm sorry. I have had some tings come up in my personal life that kept me from updating as soon as I wanted to. **Hopefully, **I will have Chapter 7 up in the next two weeks or so. Maybe even earlier if things work out right. And I will be coming back here to add in my third new beta just as soon as I hear from her. :-) Your review brihten my day so please keep reviewing. It will be about a week or so before this chapter is html ready for my website. There will be a picture of the car and the house on the website when I can get it up.

A/N #5: Yes, I know that Chapter 7 is late. I'm still waiting on the betas. I got real sick and when I say sick, I was so sick I couldn't get online for a few months. I'm better now and I'm waiting on the final draft to be beta'ed. I've also not gotten Chapter 6 up on my website yet. It's coming though. It's just been real busy since I've gotten well.

Mac


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Thoughts are in italics. I emphasize words by italics, bold, and/or underscore. You can tell why it's in italics by the context._

_A/N 2: __**Muirnín**__ is Gaelic for __**Sweetheart, Beloved and Darling**__. I have it in my mind that Angel is using it to mean Sweetheart, but use endearment you like best. __**Mo **__**Grá**__ is __**My Love**__ Translations are from __/home__ If I missed a translation then you can go to that URL to find it._

* * *

Chapter 7

* * *

"Hey guys! We found the perfect place for the wedding last night," Buffy said as she walked into the library.

"Where?" Willow asked.

"The old mansion on Crawford Street. It's also where we will be living. Angel bought it last night. It's my wedding present. After the wedding, we're going to turn the ballroom into a training room."

"What about your training here?" Giles sharply said as he looked up from a memo from Snyder.

"Well, we thought you would come over for training sessions. That way we won't be worried about someone walking in and asking questions."

"Yes. That does seem reasonable," Giles said relieved.

"There is even a room that Angel wants to turn into a Demonology and Occult library for our research. He even suggested that we move all of our research books over to the mansion where you could use one of the spare rooms for your all night research parties. But I told him that you wouldn't go for it."

"Yes, you're right. I need the books here so I can do research while I'm here," Giles agreed.

"See, that's what I thought," Buffy said with a cocky smile.

* * *

"Wow, Buffy. This is a cool car!" Xander exclaimed.

"I know," Buffy said as she drove Xander and Willow home from school.

"Angel bought it for you?" Willow asked.

"Yep, but I picked it out. The mansion is too far to walk and Angel thought I should have a car of my own to drive to school," Buffy explained.

"Wow. He talked your mom into letting you get your driver's license just last week," Xander said.

"I know."

"Do you think that he had planned on getting you a car all along?" Willow asked.

"I don't know. But I do know that he is spoiling me," Buffy grinned.

* * *

"The wedding guest list is getting bigger by the minute. Mom and Dad keep adding family that I haven't even seen since I was like eight. They both are inviting clients who I don't even know. I just wanted us, my parents, Giles, Miss Calendar, Willow, Oz, Xander and Cordelia. Mom also invited all of my grandparents. I'm not sure if they will even show or not, but they've been invited." It had been a few weeks since Buffy had asked Miss Calendar to talk to Giles. Giles had been much happier with Miss Calendar around; Buffy couldn't stand to see him so depressed any longer.

"It'll be all right, Muirnín," Angel reassured Buffy as they patrolled the cemetery.

"Angel, I only wanted those who know that I'm The Slayer and you're a vampire to be there. But now there will be all these people who don't know anything about us there. Mom even put an announcement in the paper."

"Mo Grá," Angel stopped and turned Buffy to face him. He looked deeply in her green eyes and asked, "Do you want me to talk to your mother and tell her that's a private wedding and only the people in the wedding are invited?"

"I've already done that."

"What did she say?"

"She told me that I needed to ask my cousins to be the flower girl and ring bearer since we don't have them yet. When I told her that I didn't want a big wedding, I only wanted those people who know that I was The Slayer there…Angel she looked so hurt. I gave in and told her to invite whoever she wanted."

Angel smiled, "Muirnín, it doesn't matter that there will be a lot people there that don't know us. It's not going to matter who sees the wedding; we're still going be married."

"I know. I just wanted to write our own vows, but if there are going to be all these people there who don't know us and know what we are, then we can't do that."

Angel took an unneeded breath and sighed. He really didn't know what to say, so he just held her in an embrace.

* * *

A few days later, when Buffy walked into the library, Willow said, "Hey, Buffy, I was reading in some of the Watcher Journals, and I found something interesting."

"What, Will?"

"It seems that when a vampire finds a 'Mate' they mark them. And they only mark one 'Mate' in their life—or unlife. It's rare for it to happen and even rarer for the 'Mate' to be a human. Sometimes they mark their 'Mate' in private and sometimes in a Bonding Ceremony."

"Does it have the Bonding Ceremony?" Buffy asked as Angel walked into the library.

"The bonding ceremony is too dangerous for you, Muirnín," Angel said when he heard Buffy asking about it.

"Well, what is it?" Buffy asked annoyed that he hadn't mentioned this before.

"It's basically a wedding ceremony for vampires where they mark each other publicly by drinking from one another. I've never heard of a human going through the Bonding Ceremony. When a human is marked it's always been in private—usually during sex," Angel explained uncomfortably.

"Oh," Buffy said. "So you would have to drink from me?"

"Yes."

"But it wouldn't kill or turn me?"

"The vampire isn't supposed to take that much. Just enough to scar permanently."

"But I wouldn't scar. I heal too quickly for that," Buffy said disappointedly.

Willow spoke up, "But if you were to go through the Bonding Ceremony, it would scar even a Slayer."

"Willow's right. I can't explain it. It just does."

"Who could perform the Bonding Ceremony?" Buffy asked.

"It would have to be someone who has practiced majick before," Angel said.

"Like Giles?"

"Yes, Giles could perform the ceremony and since Jenny comes from a long a line of powerful gypsies, she could as well. We would need both of them since there is no vampire I know of that would want to perform it. But it doesn't matter, it's too dangerous. We're not doing it," Angel protested.

"But you said yourself, that you wouldn't take enough to really hurt me."

"Buffy, Slayer blood is very powerful. I'm afraid that I would get carried away and take too much," Angel explained.

"Not with Giles, Miss Calendar, and everybody else there. We could do the Bonding Ceremony after the reception. Only those who know that you are a vampire will be there. And then we'll be married in all ways possible," Buffy said with pleading eyes.

Angel looked into Buffy's pleading eyes; he had a hard time denying her anything she wanted. This was the ultimate show of trust on her part. Yes, he wanted to Mark her as his eternal Mate. There wasn't anything he wanted more. But would he be able to stop drinking from her in time? She did have a point though. Giles and Jenny would do everything in their power to stop him if it looked as though he was taking too much. Surely just one or two mouthfuls wouldn't hurt her and it would Mark her as his Mate forever. Angel gave in, "Let me talk with Giles and Jenny first. If they say 'Okay', then we'll do it."

* * *

"Buffy, Honey, I need to talk to you," Joyce said as Buffy and Angel walked into the house after patrol.

"Sure, Mom, what is it?" Buffy asked. When her mom didn't answer right away, Buffy knew that something was wrong. "Mom?"

Angel thought that Joyce wanted to talk to Buffy alone and said, "I'll just go and get you something to eat. I'll be back in a little while."

Joyce knew that Buffy would need Angel to comfort her and said, "Uh, no, Angel. I'd like for you to stay if you could."

Angel nodded and Joyce led everybody into the living room.

Buffy and Angel sat down on the couch and Buffy asked, "Mom, what's wrong?"

Joyce wasn't sure how to begin, "Um, well, uh, I need to go out of town for a few days."

Buffy and Angel were confused. Joyce had gone out of town plenty of times without having to sit them down and talk to them like this. Buffy asked, "Mom, what's wrong?"

"Your nana is sick, Buffy. Darlene called me and asked me to go help them out. She's been sick for a while. I didn't want to worry you needlessly, so I didn't say anything," Joyce paused. All of the blood had drained from Buffy's face and Angel could smell the fear that she felt. Joyce continued, "I don't know how long I will be gone."

"I'm going with you."

"No, you have school and as much as I hate it, you also have slaying. You need to stay here. I can handle this on my own." Joyce took a deep breath and said, "I need to do this alone."

"Mom…"

"Buffy, you are staying here and that is final," Joyce firmly said. She knew that her older sister's husband was going to be there and didn't want Buffy to come to blows with him. While Buffy and Darlene's husband, Richard, got along great, Terri's husband, Mike, was whole other story. Buffy and Mike never got along and after his daughter's death it had gotten worse. It was as if he blamed Buffy for their daughter's death. Joyce didn't need a confrontation between the two on top of dealing with having to say goodbye to her mother. Joyce turned to Angel and asked, "Angel, will you stay with her?"

Angel nodded and said, "She can stay with me. If you need to get in touch with us, you can call the apartment."

"Okay. Thank you."

Buffy spoke in a low voice when she asked, "What's wrong with Nana?"

"She has bone cancer. She didn't want the chemo or anything. Right now they have her on pain medicine to help keep her comfortable," Joyce sighed.

Buffy had tears in her eyes as she said, "So this is it? You get to say goodbye to her and I don't?"

"Buffy, that's not it at all. I just think that you're needed here more. There's nothing you can do for her." Then she looked down and said, "And besides, your Uncle Mike will be there."

"Oh. Well, if he's there, it might be best that I stay here," Buffy sorrowfully agreed.

Joyce nodded, "Why don't you go pack a bag for yourself and I'll call you when I land in Lansing and then again when I get to Nana and Papa's in Charlotte."

"Okay," Buffy nodded still feeling numb. She really hated her uncle Mike. If it weren't for him she just knew that she would be able to go tell her nana goodbye. "Give Nana my love will you? Tell her that I wish I could be there."

"I will. She'll understand. She loves you, you know. She was looking forward to coming to your wedding. You know how stubborn she is; she'll probably be there anyway. This isn't good bye. This is just something to keep us on our toes. She _**will**_ be at the wedding," Joyce said trying to convince both herself and her daughter.

Buffy nodded, smiled sadly, and said, "You're right. She'll be there."

Joyce took her daughter into a loving, comforting embrace, although she wasn't sure who was comforting who. Maybe they both were comforting each other.

Angel watched the interaction between mother and daughter. He didn't know what to do. Here was one woman who was losing her mother and the other was losing her grandmother and he felt helpless because he didn't know how to help them.

The trio headed upstairs, Joyce to get her bags that she had already packed and Buffy and Angel to pack a bag for Buffy.

* * *

On the way to the apartment, Angel said, "It may not seem like it, but everything will be fine."

"I know. It's just that my grandmother is dying and I can't go say goodbye to her because my asshole of an uncle will be there. I mean it's not his mother that is dying why does he have to be there?"

"Maybe your aunt needs him?"

"What does she need him for? To beat on her if she cries? Oh, I know, to blame everyone but himself for Cilia's death. It's everyone else's fault but his. It's my aunt and my mother's fault for letting me in the room by myself. It's my fault because I did something that killed her," Buffy held in the tears that were threatening to fall. "She was in the hospital. She had been sick, but she was getting better. I went in to see her and then she just died. I couldn't do anything. She was terrified. She was screaming, but I didn't know what to do. I called for help and when they got in there, Uncle Mike blamed me. He said that I smothered her and he hit me. He even tried to have me arrested. Even though the doctors said that I didn't do it, that it was the flu, he thought it was me. He thought I killed her. He never forgave me. At Cilia's funeral he yelled out that I had no right to be there. That I had killed her. He slapped me right there in front of everyone. Mom and Dad took me home and I haven't seen him since. I overheard my Aunt Darlene tell Mom that if he saw me again he said he would kill me. She also told Mom that he started beating Aunt Terri after Cilia died. Now that I can defend myself, I still can't go because if he hits me again, or even blames me to my face, then I'm afraid that _I'll_ kill _him_. I'm afraid that I won't be able to control my temper and I'll kill him."

Angel felt like killing the man himself but, instead said, "Maybe he doesn't blame you anymore. Maybe it was just the grief of losing his daughter."

"Yeah, well, I would believe that if Aunt Terri hadn't come to stay with us a year before my parents got divorced. She was going to leave him. He hadn't stopped beating her. But he called her and talked her into going back to him. I came home from school one day and she was gone. She left me a note saying that she loves me and she doesn't blame me, but it would be best if I stayed away from Uncle Mike.

"So because he is there, I can't go tell my grandmother how much I love her and how much I will miss her."

"Maybe you can't be there in person, but maybe when your mom calls you can talk to her on the phone and tell her how you feel?" Angel tried to comfort the love of his life.

Buffy looked up at her fiancé stunned. She was amazed at how just being in his presence could make her feel better and then he had to go and make a wonderful suggestion like that. "You know, it won't be the same, but it will be better than not talking to her at all."

Angel and Buffy walked in silence the rest of the way to the apartment. Joyce wasn't scheduled to land in Michigan until the next morning, so when Angel and Buffy got back to the apartment they went to bed.

At 5:30 AM the phone rang and Angel reached over and picked it up before it woke Buffy up, "Hello."

"Angel, it's Joyce. My plane just landed. If traffic isn't too bad, I should be at my parents' house within the hour. My sister Darlene is here to pick me up. I'll call Buffy when we get to my parents' house."

"Okay. Could Buffy talk to your mother when you call her to let her know that you made it okay?"

"Oh, yeah sure. That's a great idea. It might give Mom the will to fight until the wedding at least. Oh, and here is my luggage. Gotta go. Bye."

"Bye," Angel said as he hung up the phone. He looked over at the woman that he held in his arms. Angel drifted back to sleep as he thought, _I hope that her grandmother will be able to make it to the wedding—for Buffy. _

* * *

When the alarm went off at 6:30 AM, Angel turned it off and then lightly kissed Buffy to wake her up. As they lay kissing and caressing, the phone rang again. Angel reluctantly picked up the phone, "Hello?"

"Angel, it's Joyce again."

"Here's Buffy," Angel said as he passed the phone to woman lying beside him.

"Hello," Buffy said as she took the phone from Angel. Since she was expecting her mother to call her and no one else knew that was staying at Angel's last night, she knew that it was her mother on the phone.

"Buffy. I wanted to let you know that your nana is fine right now. Darlene over reacted. Mom just wanted all of us here to help plan out the funeral now, so that when the time came it would be easier on us. I'm sorry to worry you needlessly."

"It's alright, Mom," Buffy said. With his vampiric hearing, Angel heard what Joyce told Buffy and lightly kissed his fiancée's neck.

"Buffy?" Joyce asked after a moment of silence.

"Humm?" Buffy asked as Angel continued kissing her neck and started to caress her bare stomach under the covers.

"Don't forget you have school today."

"I'm getting ready right now, Mom."

Joyce didn't believe the lie one bit, "Uh huh. Just don't be late."

"I won't, Mom," Buffy replied. Angel's hand was slowly moving up toward her chest and she was getting too distracted to talk so she told her mother, "I have to go get ready for school now, Mom. I'll talk to you later okay?"

Joyce wasn't sure what was going on but she said, "Just be careful." Before she could say, "Bye" she heard the dial tone. _Oh, I have a pretty good idea of why Buffy was so distracted and I wish I didn't. Okay, Joyce, just don't think about your daughter having sex right now._

* * *

Mrs. Wilson passed out the graded history reports that the class had done. Buffy was disappointed when she didn't get her paper. Then the teacher said something that surprised her, "The best paper that I read was Buffy Summers' paper. With your permission, Buffy, I would like to hang your paper up outside the classroom for everyone to read." Buffy blushed and nodded her head. "It was a well-researched paper and I would like to encourage everyone to read it. It has some little known facts about everyday life in 1700's. As a re-enactor, I already knew about these facts, but I have never had any student find out these facts. I'm proud of all of you. Everyone did wonderfully!"

* * *

As the gang walked into the library, Willow said, "Hey, Giles! Buffy aced her History report!"

Giles looked up from the book he was reading, "Uh, the report that Angel helped her with?"

"Yep," Buffy said proudly.

"Well that's wonderful!" Giles smiled.

"Well, I'm sure that if you hadn't proof read it, and caught some of my grammar mistakes, I wouldn't have got an A."

"Buffy, I only caught a couple of misspelled words here and there. You did wonderfully on that paper."

* * *

"Miss Summers, I'd like to see you in my office," Snyder said as he entered the library where he had seen the young girl go. Buffy sighed and followed the principal to his office. When they got inside his office, he told her, "Have a seat." He then went around his desk, sat in his chair, and handed her a report. "Do you recognize this?"

Buffy took the report from Principal Snyder and said, "It's my history report."

"You mean the history report that you tried to pass off as yours. But I know better. There is no way that you could get an A on anything. You cheated, Young Lady, and you will be suspended for it," the snobbish, pompous, arrogant man informed her. "I'm going to call your mother to come pick you up. You are suspended for a week for plagiarizing."

"Principal Snyder, I wrote that report. I didn't cheat," Buffy said.

"Well, I don't believe you," Snyder said as he dialed the cell phone number that he had for Joyce. "Mrs. Summers? This is Principal Snyder. We have a problem here at school with your daughter."

Joyce thinking that Buffy was hurt or sick asked, "What's wrong?"

"Buffy was caught cheating. She turned in someone else's report and claimed it to be hers. She is suspended for a week."

"Principal Snyder, I am out of the state visiting my sick mother. I don't have time for your ridiculous accusations. Talk to Mr. Giles or Angel about this. They both are taking care of Buffy while I am out of town and have my permission to handle this situation and any situation that comes up that may need a parental authorization. Don't call me unless Buffy is sick or hurt," Joyce said and hung up on the man.

Snyder refused to let Buffy see how shocked he was that her mother didn't want to discuss this with him. He spoke into an intercom, "Linda, please get the number to Buffy Summers' second guardian, please."

Linda walked in with a number on a sheet of paper, "Mrs. Summers called this morning and left this number. She also said that Mr. Giles would be able to take care of any disciplinary problems. He is a lot closer if you need something quickly."

"I can handle this. Thank you," Snyder snapped. He dialed the number that Linda gave to him.

"Hello?" answered a male voice.

Snyder had assumed that Angel was a woman, since in his mind Angel could only be used for a girl's name. "Hello, may I speak to Angel, please?"

"This is Angel," said the confused voice.

"This is Principal Snyder at Sunnydale High School. I was given this number to get in touch with Buffy Summers' temporary guardian."

"What's wrong with Buffy?" The voice changed from confused to worried.

"She has been suspended for a week for plagiarism. She turned in a report that she could not have possibly written herself and tried to pass it off as her work," Snyder said smugly.

Since the history report was the only report that Buffy had turned in this semester, Angel knew that was the one that the principal was talking about and he asked, "Mrs. Wilson really believes this?"

"No. But Mrs. Wilson likes to believe the best in people. I know what kind of a troublemaker Buffy is and I know that she isn't capable of making A's so therefore she couldn't have possibly written this report."

"Can I speak to Buffy please?"

"Sure," Snyder handed Buffy the phone.

"Angel?" Buffy said hopefully.

"Buffy, this is the report that I helped you on, right?" Angel asked reigning in his anger to make sure that she hadn't turned in any other reports that he didn't know about.

"Yes," Buffy said quietly.

"Okay. Don't worry about anything. If he suspends you, then I'll get our lawyers on it. It won't stand up. He says that your teacher is standing by you and so will I. And I know that Giles will stand by you as well. We will go to the school board and get it overturned. You'll be back in school tomorrow."

"He called Mom," Buffy said sadly.

"Okay. I'll call her and let her know that I'm taking care of it."

"Okay."

"Let me speak to him again."

"Okay," Buffy said quietly and then handed the phone back to the principal.

"This is Snyder."

"Principal Snyder, if you suspend Buffy, then you will have to deal with my lawyers. She wrote that paper her self. I made sure of that. Buffy is very smart when she applies herself."

"Buffy is nothing but a troublemaker and she is suspended for a week. You need to come pick her up."

"Fine. You and the school board will be hearing from my lawyers!" Angel slammed the phone down and it crumbled into pieces. "Damn it! Now I have to buy a new phone," he cursed as he slipped into some clothes.

* * *

After Angel entered the school through the sewer access, he walked down the hall toward the library so that he could talk with Giles about what was going on. However, before he got to the library, Mrs. Wilson saw him, and asked, "Angel, can I talk to you?"

"Yeah. I wanted to talk to you, too."

"I tried to tell Principal Snyder that Buffy wrote the report on her own, but he doesn't believe me."

"Yeah. So I gathered. He's suspended her for a week."

"I don't know what else to do."

"I do. I'm going to talk to the school board about this. He is supposed to be an educator and he tells Buffy that she can't do well? When she applies herself, she can make good grades."

"And this report shows just that," Mrs. Wilson sighed. "I'm really sorry, Angel. I thought that by showing Principal Snyder how good Buffy could do if she just applied herself, it would somehow make him see that she's not as bad as he keeps trying to make her out to be."

"It's alright. It's not your fault. You were only trying to help," Angel told her gently. "Do you think you could talk to the school board tonight?"

"If you can manage to make them call an emergency meeting, I'll be there. I hate the way that Snyder treats the students here. I don't think he is fit to be in education."

* * *

Angel walked into the library and asked, "Why does the principal not believe the teacher when she tells him that Buffy did not cheat?"

"Because he hates me," Buffy said in a small voice as she stood to go meet her fiancé.

"Well, yes, for some reason known only to him, he seems to have it in for Buffy...the pillock!" Giles chimed in.

"Well, we'll see what the school board has to say about this," Angel said. "I've called my lawyers and they're supposed to be talking with the school board members now."

"I can't believe that I've been suspended for something that I didn't even do," Buffy said in a state of shock.

"Don't worry; you'll be back in classes tomorrow," Angel promised her. "Let's just go home for right now."

Snyder watched from the shadows as Angel led Buffy down the hallway with his arm around her waist. _Now why is Mrs. Summers' boyfriend acting so lovey dovey with her daughter?_ Snyder thought to himself.

* * *

Buffy and Angel decided that they would use the extra time that Buffy had to do more clean up work at the mansion. And since all the windows had been replaced with necro-tempered plated glass, they didn't have to cover them up. They could let the sunshine through the windows. However, they were making out more than they were cleaning their future home up.

After Buffy and Angel had left through the sewer access in the basement of the school, Snyder's supervisor arrived at the school. He interviewed Mrs. Wilson, Buffy's classmates and Mr. Giles. At the end of the day, after the last interview, he informed Snyder that the suspension of Buffy Summers was ungrounded and that he had better reverse it or Angel MacKenzie, the owner of MacKenzie Enterprises, was going to sue. After all of the interviews, he had concluded that Buffy Summers had written the paper on her own and had been falsely accused by Snyder of cheating and therefore she was wrongfully suspended. The supervisor also let all of Buffy's teachers know that the suspension was reversed and that she was to be counted as present in all of her classes that day and her work was to be made up. And to top it off, Snyder had to go to her and apologize to her and her family. If he didn't, he would be fired.

Snyder had gone to the Summers' residence only to find it empty. Then he went to Angel MacKenzie's apartment, but it too was empty. He called Giles to ask him if he knew where Buffy and Angel might be and Giles had told him the old mansion on Crawford Street. So here he was about to knock on the big heavy door, when he saw through the unshaded window, Angel and Buffy making out in the main room. He would have to file that away and when Mrs. Summers got back in town, he would tell her that her daughter was making the moves on Mrs. Summers' boyfriend. But for right now, he had a job to save. He knocked on the door and waited for one of them to open it.

Buffy was the one who answered the door and she just stood there staring at her principal. "Miss Summers, I've come to inform you that after careful evaluation of your report and interviewing your teacher and classmates who swear that they saw you write the paper yourself, your suspension has been reversed and you are to be at school in the morning. You will have to make up all of the class work you missed today and," Snyder took a deep breath and then spoke so quickly that Buffy had a hard time understanding what he was saying, "I'msorry."

"What was that last part? I didn't quite catch it."

Snyder then said it so low it was almost a whisper.

"I still didn't catch it, could you speak up, please?"

"I said, 'I'm sorry.' Alright there. I said it! Are you happy now?!" Snyder yelled.

Coming to the door, Angel spoke up and angrily said, "The next time you falsely accuse my fiancée of anything and then act on your prejudices, I will sue you personally and I will make sure that you are fired and never work in another school again!"

As Angel slammed the door in his face, Snyder thought to himself, _Fiancée? She must be pregnant! Why would her mother let her get married before she graduated high school if she wasn't?_

Yet another **A/N**: Just wanted to clear up some things that could cause confusion. Joyce has more than one sister. The sister that called her is not the sister in the abusive marriage. Snyder being the type of person he is just jumped to the conclusion that Angel was Joyce's boyfriend because he did't think that any parent would leave a teenage girl in the care of the teenager's boyfriend.

Please review/send feedback. I do need ideas on what to do with Season 3. There are just a few more chapters left in Book 1. Book 2 will cover Buffy's Senior Year of High School. If you have any ideas on what I could in this universe with Season 3, please let me know. I want to show Buffy and Faith meeting, but I'm drawing a blank. If you have any ideas, please let me know.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N:** Some parts are taken from the transcript /Killed By Death/ (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer Season 2 episode 18) written by: Rob Des Hotel & Dean Batali, Directed by: Deran Sarafian, and Transcribed by: AleXander Thompsonand can be found at TWIZ TV. COM The parts of the transcript will be in /red/. Also, just so that you know, to make things fit into my universe, I had to change up the order of some events, so Jenny Calendar is still alive even though she does not make an appearance._

_There might be some formating problems. Like some words that need to be in itlaics might not be in italics. If you want to you can go to my webpage to see the correct formating and correct colors to see where the transcript and my writing begin and end. A link to my webpage is on my profile page. Or just take the spaces out of the following link: www. angelfire. com/ goth/ ladymackenzie/ index. html _

Irish Gaelic Translations www. englishirishdictionary. com

**Muirnín:** Sweetheart

**Ionúin:** Beloved

**Mo Chroí**: My Heart

* * *

Chapter 8

* * *

A few days later, Angel found out just how much Buffy hated hospitals. Buffy had woken up one morning with a high fever. Her mother had kept her home from school and all she had done that day was sleep. She was asleep when he left to patrol. On his way back to her house, he heard, "Well, well, what do we have here? The Slayer. I bet I could take you on."

Angel raced to where the sound was coming from. When he rounded a corner, he saw his love on he ground about to be bitten by the vampire. Angel growled and staked the vampire as he pulled him off Buffy. "Buffy, you should be home in bed," he gently chastised her.

"I'm fine. I would've gotten him," Buffy said as the world started to spin and close in on her. She felt like she was going blind and deaf at the same time. "Angel…" she cried out before she fell into the blackness.

Angel caught Buffy before she hit the ground. He then looked up and saw Xander, Willow, and Cordelia running towards him. They rushed her to the hospital. Angel /rushed in with Buffy in his arms./ Xander, /Willow and Cordelia were right behind him.

Xander yelled, "We need help!"

"Somebody, please, now!" Willow demanded.

An intern approached them and asked, "What happened?"

Xander, Willow, and Cordelia spoke at once. Xander said, "She fell."

Willow informed him, "The flu."

Cordelia told him, "She fainted."

As a nurse brought over a gurney/ Angel / said distraughtly, "The flu, fainted and fell. She's sick, make it better!"

The intern pulled the gurney over to the group that had just invaded the ER and said, "It's gonna be okay. Let's get her up."/

Angel /laid Buffy out on the gurney. The intern took out his pocket light and checked Buffy's eyes for a response. The nurse took notes while he spoke as they started to wheel her into the emergency room. They all followed. The Intern was saying, "Patient's unconscious... Pupils are unequal and unresponsive."

"What does that mean?"/ Angel /asked confused.

Willow asked, "Is she gonna be okay?"

The intern demanded, "Please, you gotta give us some room."

Dr. Wilkinson then arrived and asked, "What do we have?"

The intern immediately replied, "High-grade fever, possible fractures."

Dr. Wilkinson ordered, "Get her into Trauma 1, give her a CBC, Chem 7, type and

screen."

"Right," the intern said as he and the nurse took her through the doors out of the waiting area and into the ER itself./ Angel and /Buffy's friends tried to follow, but Dr. Wilkinson blocked their way, "I'm sorry, you can't go any further."/

"She's afraid of hospitals!" Angel tried to reason with the doctor.

/"Someone should be with her!" Xander exclaimed.

"I'm sorry! You can't go any further," the doctor insisted./

"I'm her fiancé!"

"I'm sorry, Sir, you can't go back right now. When we get her stable, I'll come let you know," the doctor said with more compassion. /She backed in and closed the door in their faces. They looked through windows for a couple of seconds.

Willow reacted first, "I'll call Giles, tell him what happened." She turned to Cordelia and said, "You call Buffy's mom, tell her what happened/ and /get her here."

"As the two of them went to find the phones/ Angel and /Xander continued to look in at Buffy through the window of the emergency room door. Inside, they could see the doctor and intern still working on Buffy. Xander looked away as they wheeled his friend into Trauma 1./ Angel stared through the window and tried to listen to what was happening inside the trauma room, but even with his vamp hearing the closed door blocked his attempts to listen to what was going on. No longer able to hear, he sat down in one of the chairs, rested his elbows on his knees, and covered his face with his hands. He had too much nervous energy to stay that way for long. Rising to his feet he paced the waiting room."

* * *

While Angel alternated between from pacing and sitting down, /Cordelia, Xander and Willow were sitting on a row of chairs in the waiting room with worried looks on their faces. Giles was also sitting in a chair waiting and nervously cleaning his glasses. The elevator door

opened and Joyce walked out and saw them sitting there. "Where is she?"/ She asked looking at Angel.

Before Angel could say anything, all of Buffy friends jumped up and Giles answered Joyce, /"She's still in the emergency room."

"I wanna see her," Joyce said and started out of the waiting room.

Cordelia informed Mrs. Summers, "They won't let us in there."

Joyce stopped and looked back at her. Just then Dr. Wilkinson came to the door, "Mrs. Summers?"

Joyce turned and faced her, "Yes?"

"I'm Dr. Wilkinson."

"Is Buffy okay?" Joyce asked.

"We were able to stabilize her and..."

"Is she okay?" Joyce/ and Angel /interrupted/ simultaneously.

/Dr. Wilkinson reassuringly told them, "She's going to be fine."/

Angel and /Joyce were visibly relieved and Joyce said, "Thank you," and put her hand to her face./ Angel looked at the doctor waiting for her to say something else.

/Xander, who also relieved but still had some nervous energy of his own, rubbed his hands and said, "Good. Good. That's good."

Dr. Wilkinson told Mrs. Summers, "I wanna keep her here a few days, though. She still has some healing to do."/

Angel, /Giles and Joyce look at her anxiously./ Angel had been afraid that Buffy was going to have to stay. He had already decided that he wouldn't leave this hospital without her.

* * *

As they were walking upstairs to where the doctor said that they would bring Buffy, Joyce asked, "What happened?"

"I was on my way back to your house to check up on her when I heard her fighting another vampire. By the time I reached them, she was on the ground. If I hadn't been there… I thought you were keeping her home tonight?" Angel asked a little too harshly.

"I tried. I thought she was asleep in her room," Joyce defended herself.

"We all know how Buffy can be when she's determined," Giles said.

Angel had to agree to that. Her mother could no more keep her home than stop Houdini from escaping. He just nodded that he understood, but didn't say anything else.

/Joyce, Giles, Xander, Willow, Cordelia/ and Angel /were waiting for Buffy to be brought up. When they saw her coming, they all approached the bed. She had an IV in her right hand and her left forearm was wrapped in an elastic bandage./

While Angel made it to Buffy first, /Joyce was the first to speak, "Buffy? Hi, Sweetheart."

As everyone accompanied her toward her room/ Angel /said/ as he took her hand, /"Hey, Buffy, we're all here."

Buffy groggily said, "Hey. Here we are. It's all of we. Are we taking me home?" She tried to get up.

Dr. Wilkinson gently pushed her back, "No. Buffy, you need to lie down, Honey."

Buffy, still groggy, replied, "Yeah? Lie at home. My bed is better than any bed that's... not my bed."

Dr. Wilkinson looked at Joyce and informed her, "She's still a little out of it."

Joyce nodded back.

Buffy looked at Xander, pointed to him and said, "Shhh! Hospital zone. No singing."

Buffy looked at Dr. Wilkinson as the woman tried to comfort her patient's mother, "She'll feel better after she's been here a while."

Buffy started to panic and tried to get up again, "No! Lemme go. Look, I wanna go."

The orderly that was pushing the bed, two nurses/ Angel, /and Dr. Wilkinson struggled to get her to lie back down. Buffy put up a fight.

Willow was confused and asked, "Buffy, what's wrong?"

Buffy yelled, "No! No! Let me go!"

"I think she wants to go," Cordelia stated the obvious.

They managed to get her pushed back down on the bed. Buffy was in full panic/ and it was hard for Angel to keep her down on the bed. Every time Angel had slipped and started talking in Gaelic, it had a calming effect on his love, so he tried to talk to her in Gaelic, but it wasn't working. Blind in her panic, /she kept yelling, "No, don't do that! Stop it!"

"Hold her steady!" the doctor ordered./

_I'm trying to damn it!_ Angel thought as Buffy kept trying to get up.

/Buffy was delirious and was going to try everything to get out of this place, "Giles, tell them!"

The Orderly and/ Angel /were finally able to hold her down on the bed and the orderly said, "I got her."

In an effort to get out of the hospital, Buffy screamed, "The vampires! I need to kill the vampires!"

Dr. Wilkinson ignored her and said in a calming voice, "This'll help you relax." She put a needle against Buffy's inside elbow and injected her with a sedative. Xander threw Giles a concerned look while Cordelia cringed and looked away.

Buffy winced in pain, "Ow! No!"

When the doctor pulled the needle back out, she laid back and breathed heavily.

Xander trying to cover for Buffy's talk of vampires said, "It's gotta be the fever."

"Yeah, it made her delusional," Willow insisted.

Buffy turned to Giles insistently and said, "They're out there!"

Giles smiled reassuringly, "Yes, uh, well, we'll, uh, we'll get those, uh, vampires later." He laughed lightly, looked at/ the doctor and said, /"I hear it's best t-to play along." He kept smiling.

As the sedative took effect, Buffy began to relax. As one of the nurses checked her IV, Joyce leaned in and stroked her hair, "Honey, listen..."

"I wanna go home," Buffy whined.

"It's gonna be okay. I promise," Joyce tried to comfort her daughter.

As they started to wheel her away again, Buffy begged, "Please don't make me stay here..."

"I _promise_," Joyce said one more time./

"Angel, take me home, please," Buffy pleaded with the one person who she knew couldn't deny her anything.

And if Angel hadn't known it was best that she stay here in the hospital, he would have taken her home. He could smell her fear. He held onto her hand, leaned down and kissed her forehead, and said, "Muirnín, it'll be ok. I promise. I won't leave your side the whole time you're here."

The doctor looked at the young man who had made the promise and then looked at the teenager's mother and saw that her mother didn't have a problem with the man staying with her daughter and nodded her ok to his promise. What she didn't understand was that Angel was going to stay with his fiancée with or with out the doctor's permission.

/Every one followed as Buffy was taken to her room./ Angel went in the room as everyone else /waited outside the door as it closed. Xander looked in through the narrow window and after a moment, he looked over at Giles and said, "That was a new experience. I'm not used to seeing Buffy scared like that."

"Yeah, she just _hates _hospitals. Ever since she was a little girl," Joyce explained.

Willow asked, "What happened?"

"When she was eight her cousin, Celia, died in a hospital. Buffy was alone with her at the time."

"Yuk!" Cordelia declared.

"Yeah, they were very close."

"Wow, and she was eight?" Willow asked.

Joyce looked into Buffy's room and said, "Well, it looks like she's asleep. I should go call her father." She headed toward the nurse's station.

Giles accompanied her saying, "Um, I-I think there's a, a phone..."

* * *

Buffy stirred in her bed. The clock on the nightstand changed to read 2:27am, her IV was slowly dripping in, the LED on the heart monitor next to the IV blinked steadily. She took a deep breath as she woke up. She blinked her eyes several times before looking over at the door. It was standing open, and a young boy was there just silently staring in at her. A few moments later, he started walking down the hall. She continued to look out the door, and a man in a black suit and hat walked by. He glances into Buffy's room as he walked by. She saw his face. It was all disfigured, his nose was long and bent down to a point, his teeth were all long fangs, and his fingers were grossly elongated. He looked back after the boy and continued to follow him out of view. Buffy raised her head in disbelief. She pushed her hair back with her bandaged hand and slowly sat up. She got out of bed and steadied herself to a stand. She tied her robe closed as she walked out of the room. It was deserted except for the janitor mopping the floor behind her. As she walked, she had a flashback to her youth, and the corridor was suddenly brightly lit. Little Buffy came walking down the bright but deserted hall./ It was as if Buffy was suddenly watching a movie and /the view closed in on Little Buffy's face./ It then, /cut to her view of a cart of surgical instruments./ Then it /cut to her again, looking around nervously as she walked./ The view then /cut to a shot from behind her as she approached Celia's room. Sunlight was pouring brightly from the door. She edged up to it and went in./ The view /cut to inside the room. Little Buffy came in and slowly went over to the curtain pulled around Celia's bed.

* * *

The clock on the nightstand changed to read 2:27am. Buffy stirred and woke from her dream. Her door was open, but there was no one there. She pushed her hair back with her bandaged hand and slowly sat up./ She looked over and saw Angel dozing in the chair beside her bed. /She felt the IV in the back of her right hand and looked at it. She pulled the tape off and the needle out. She covered her face with both hands, drew them back through her hair and started to get out of bed/ as quietly as she could.

"Where do you think you're going?" Angel asked startling her.

"I'm going for a walk," Buffy said as she tried to stand up.

Angel held out his hand and said, "I'll walk with you."

Buffy smiled and took his hand. When Buffy was standing on her own, Angel gave her a kiss on the lips, then /Buffy held her robe closed with her hands/ and they /walked out into the hall. It was deserted except for the janitor mopping the floor behind them. She heard coughing coming from a room and looked in. A woman was tucking in an old man and comforting him./

They /heard the woman say, "You'll be fine. Is that better?"/

They /continued down the hall and looked into the next room. An old woman was sitting on the edge of the bed with her face in her hands./ They /continued, heard the old woman cough and Buffy let out a little cough of her own./ They /passed another doorway and a security guard looked out from the doorway and watched/ them /go./

Buffy told Angel about her dream and how the disfigured man in her dream reminded her of Freddie Kruger. Angel of course didn't know who Freddie Kruger was and Buffy told him that Freddie was a monster from a horror movie named _A Nightmare on Elm Street_. Angel just thought that the dream was due to the fever.

/Buffy/ and Angel /walked toward a door as two orderlies wheeled a child covered with a sheet out of the ward./

They /overheard the orderly say, "Man, I hate it when you lose the young ones."

The orderlies went down the hall past Buffy/ and Angel. /Buffy looked at the gurney as they went by. She turned back to the children's ward door and slowly approached it./ Angel just kept walking with his arm around her waist. They /could hear Dr. Wilkinson and Dr. Backer arguing inside in hushed tones, so/ they /didn't go in.

Dr. Wilkinson was saying, "I'm just saying, step back on the dosage until we can analyze the results."

Dr. Backer argued, "There isn't time. I should think that would be clear to you by now."

Buffy peeked into the room and saw them arguing.

"The normal course of treatment..."

Dr. Backer interrupted, "They _aren't_ responding to the normal course of treatment." He gestured to the kids, "Look, they're getting worse."

"Raising their temperatures is poten..."

"Dr. Wilkinson! I have the consent of the parents."

"They're desperate! They don't understand what you're..."

"You know what, if-if you have a problem with my methods, just take it up with the board."

"I have!"/

They /had heard enough, so/ they /turned away to go. There in front of/ them /was the little boy Buffy saw in her dream and a little girl./ They /stopped and they/ all /looked at each other.

"He comes at night. The grownups don't see him. He was with Tina. He'll come back for us," the little boy said.

"Who?" Buffy asked.

"Death," the little boy answered.

Buffy/ and Angel /looked back and forth between the two kids in disbelief/ and then looked at each other. A nurse came up to them, smiled, and said, "There you are, Ryan. And this time you have a friend with you. Come on, let's get you two back to bed."

* * *

On the way back to the room, Buffy said, "Angel, that was the same little boy in my dream."

"Well, do you think that your dream was trying to tell you that he's in danger?" Buffy looked at Angel and sadly nodded her head. "Well, we'll just keep an eye on him while we're here," Angel said in an effort to comfort the woman who would become his wife in a week.

When they reached Buffy's room, Angel helped her into bed, and sat back down in the chair and held her hand. It wasn't long before Buffy was asleep once more.

* * *

Once again Buffy dreamt of her cousin, Celia. /Celia was on the bedroom floor covered with pillows and writhing around, pretending to be trapped under a pile of snow and ice.

"Help me, help! Avalanche! Help! Help! I'm trapped! Avalanche! Help! Help!" Celia called out.

Little Buffy came in through the door and stopped in a heroic stance with her hands on her hips and called out, "Power Girl to the rescue!" She knelt down and started to heave off the pillows as though they were huge, heavy blocks of ice and snow and thudded them aside.

Celia called out again, "Help me! Help! Help! Please, help!" Buffy got the last pillows off of Celia's face, and she sat up. "You saved me! Thank you, Power Girl!" The two girls embraced.

Little Buffy told the young girl, "You're safe now."/

Then her dream /cut to Little Buffy going into Celia's hospital room. She slowly approached the curtain around the bed and opened it enough to look in at her cousin. She stepped through. Celia was lying there peacefully asleep.

Buffy woke with a start/ and saw Angel was still sitting by her bed holding her hand.

/Dr. Wilkinson came in and greeted her patient, "Good morning."

Buffy moaned, rubbed her eyes, sat up, and said, "Could've fooled me."

Dr. Wilkinson said, "How are you feeling?/ I bet you would feel better if you had the widow shade up. Sunshine has a way of making you feel better.

"My fiancé is allergic to the sunshine." Buffy said as she looked over and smiled at Angel. He was still dozing in the chair.

"Oh I see. Well, it /looks like your fever's gone down."

"Well, good! Thanks for having me. Let's try and keep in touch," Buffy said as she tried to get out of bed.

Dr. Wilkinson pushed her back, "Not so fast." As she inspected Buffy's bandaged arm, she said, "Hmm."

"Good 'hmm' or bad 'hmm'?"

"Swelling's... gone!" The doctor looked up, "Does this hurt?"

"Nope."

Dr. Wilkinson got Buffy chart and said, "Amazing."

"Well, then I should probably go, right?" Buffy tried to go again.

Dr. Wilkinson stopped her again, "No. Soon. We have to make sure that fever is gone. That's a strong virus you have. Maybe not as strong as you, but..."

Buffy remembered about the children and asked, "I-is that the same virus the kids have?"

Before Dr. Wilkinson could answer there was a knock on the door.

Giles poked his head in the door and asked, "May we come in?"

Dr. Wilkinson said, "Please!" and Willow, Xander, Cordelia, and Giles walked into the room. "Maybe you can keep our patient from bolting." The doctor turned to Buffy, and sternly said, "Rest! Hmm?" She then left the room.

Xander presented his friend with five balloons and said, "Flowers for milady."

Buffy looked up at them and said, "I think they call those balloons."

Xander looked up, "Yeah, stick 'em in water, maybe they'll grow."

Willow wasn't going to be outdone; she set school books on the bed.

"Homework!" Buffy cried.

Willow told her, "It's my way of saying, 'get well soon'."

"You know, chocolate says that even better."

"I did all your assignments. All you have to do is sign your name."

Giles munched on a grape and Buffy grinned, "Chocolate means _nothing_ to me."/

"Willow, if you do her assignments for her, how is she supposed to learn?" Angel asked with his eyes closed.

"Does that mean that you're going to make me do it all over?"

Angel opened his eyes and looked at Buffy and said, "After what you just went through a few days ago with Snyder accuse you of cheating? Do you want to cheat now? You know he will be watching you."

"You are, aren't you," Buffy looked at her fiancé and pouted.

"I'm not going to make you do anything. I am just reminding you of what you just went through. And you didn't cheat that time. Look at what may happen if you cheat this time," Angel said. He knew by the look on her face that she would at the very least, copy the homework in her own handwriting. If she did that, then maybe she would be able to keep up with the classes that she missed out on because of being sick.

/Willow stepped back and looked up at Cordelia who said, "Nobody told me I was supposed to bring a gift." She looked at Giles like it was all his fault and continued, "I was out of the loop on gifts."

Giles informed her, "It's, it's tradition among, um... people. Um..." He walked up to the bed, "Grapes." He set down the bag, "Well, did you, uh, pass the night well enough?"

A nurse came into the room and walked around the bed. Buffy answered, "Not really. Something happened I thought you..." The nurse checked Buffy's IV. "You know what? Let's take a walk."/

"I'll wait right here," Angel said not moving from the chair beside the bed and closed his eyes once again.

/Outside in the sunshine, Willow pushed Buffy along in a wheelchair while the others walked alongside.

"Now, this part I could get used to," Buffy said.

Willow asked, "Do you want me to go real fast?" When she saw that she got a look from Giles, she added, "Not that I would."

"We were discussing, um, stuff," Giles prompted.

"Yes, stuff. Um, you know, a girl died here last night."

"How?" asked Willow.

"Well, the flu."

Xander was confused and stated, "Flu doesn't exactly sound monsterific."

"I know. But there's this Dr. Backer, and he's been giving them these experimental treatments," Buffy explained. They stop by a bench and Giles sat down. Buffy continued, "I-I'm not sure what he's up to, but he's a little creepy. A-and then there was this kid, Ryan. He said he saw something."

"Saw what?" Giles asked.

"Death," Buffy answered.

"Death?" Cordelia asked.

"_The _Death? As in, 'it is your time'?" Willow inquired.

"Buffy, a-a-a frightened child..." Giles tried to reason.

"Yeah, but I thought I saw something. I'm not sure; I was really out of it, but..." Buffy interrupted.

"But you do know that you saw death," Cordelia tried to confirm.

"Did it have an hourglass?" Willow asked intrigued.

Xander remembered the 1957 movie, _Sjunde inseglet, Det_, and gave some advice, "Ooo, if he asks you to play chess, don't even do it. The guy's, like, a whiz."

"Maybe it wasn't death. Maybe it was something else," Buffy wondered.

"So this isn't about you being afraid of hospitals 'cause your friend died and you wanna conjure up a monster that you can fight so you can save everybody and not feel so helpless?"

"Cordelia, have you actually ever heard of tact?" Giles asked.

"Tact is just not saying true stuff. I'll pass."

"Your mom did tell us about your cousin," Willow told Buffy as Cordelia sat down also.

Even though she was dreaming about her cousin, Buffy told her friends, "This has nothing to do with that. This little boy, Ryan, is afraid of something, something real. As long as I'm forced to stay here, I'm gonna find out what."

"So, is this the part where we say, what can we do to help?" Xander quipped.

* * *

That evening, /Buffy/ and Angel /went back to the Children's Ward./ They /stopped by the door and looked into the room. Ryan was sitting at a table drawing a picture with crayons. Buffy/ and Angel /walked over to him.

Buffy asked, "Hey. Remember/ us?"

/"You shouldn't be here," Ryan informed her.

"Why not?"/ Angel asked.

/"Contagious."

"Nah. I already got what you got/ and he can't get sick." /She sat down at the table. Ryan started drawing his picture again. Buffy noticed that Ryan wasn't interested in talking so she said, "Oh, what, you think because I'm a grown-up? Believe me, I'm not that grown up." She saw that his picture was the monster that she saw in her dream.

"He'll come again tonight."

"Ryan, listen to me." He looked at her and she continued, "I'm not gonna let this thing hurt you. Any of you. Grown-ups don't believe you, right? Well, I do. We both know that there are real monsters. But there's also real heroes that fight monsters. And that's/ us."

/He looked away and started to draw his picture again and said, "Can't fight death."/

Buffy told Angel, "Honey, this is the same demon I saw in my dream."

"Well, you need to rest some more and I need to make a phone call," Angel said in hopes to get Buffy back to her room.

"Who you gonna call?" Buffy asked and then cracked up laughing and started to sing the Ghostbusters song. "If there's somethin' strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters! If it's somethin' weird an it won't look good, who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters! I ain't afraid a no ghost. I ain't afraid a no ghost. If you're seein' things runnin' thru your head, who can you call? Ghostbusters! An' invisible man sleepin' in your bed. Oh who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters! I ain't afraid a no ghost. I ain't afraid a no ghost. Who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters! If you're all alone pick up the phone, and call Ghostbusters. I ain't afraid a no ghost. I hear it likes the girls. I ain't afraid a no ghost. Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! Mm…if you've had a dose, of a freaky ghost, Baby, you better call Ghostbusters. Bustin' makes me feel good I ain't afraid a no ghosts. Don't get caught alone oh no… Ghostbusters! When he comes through your door, unless you've just got some more, I think you better call Ghostbusters! Ooh... who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! Ah, I think you better call Ghostbusters! Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! Who you can call? Ghostbusters!"

As Buffy sang, Angel looked at the woman who was his future wife and figured that this was a reference to another movie he hadn't seen. The medicine that they were giving her really made her out of it at times. He walked her to her room and called Giles on his cell phone. When Giles didn't answer, he left a message for him to call back.

After a nap, Buffy wanted to go back and talk with Ryan some more. Angel and /Buffy slowly approached the door to the ward and Buffy looked in, but she/ and Angel /had to quickly step back and out of the way as Dr. Backer came flying out and onto the floor. He groaned and/ Buffy /bent down to help him, but something pushed her away and threw her back into the wall. She hit it hard and slid down to the floor unconscious./ Angel rushed over to his fiancée and tried to bring her back to consciousness. When he looked up he saw /Dr. Backer's arms lifted by the unseen being, and his body was pulled around and dragged down the hall, around a corner and out of sight./ Angel carried Buffy back to her room and laid her down on her bed and waited for her to come to.

* * *

Angel was in the chair beside Buffy's hospital bed reading. /Buffy was sitting up in her bed looking at the picture Ryan drew. The grapes Giles gave her were on a plate on the table. Giles appeared in the doorway and knocked. Buffy/ and Angel /looked up as Giles, Xander, Cordelia and Willow came into the room. Willow closed the door behind her.

"Uh, well, it looks as if you, uh, were on to something." Giles said quietly.

"I know."

Giles walked around the bed and somberly continued, "The, uh, the, the girl Tina, um, it's apparent that she, she died of the fever," he leaned against the window sill as he talked, "simple enough, but, but her records show her improving and then suddenly deteriorating w-w-w-without any apparent cause."

Willow leaned against the foot of the bed and said, "So we checked Dr. Backer out. This guy was not a solid citizen."

"It wasn't Backer. He was clean,"/ Angel /said sadly.

Cordelia asked, "What do you mean 'clean'?"

"What do you mean 'was'?" Xander asked confused.

"He's dead. This thing killed him, and not with kindness," Buffy said as she handed Giles the picture.

"You saw it?" Willow asked.

As Giles looked at the rough child's drawing, Buffy answered, "No, it's invisible. I saw Backer nearly shredded and the thing knocked me down. But it's real. Which means I get to fight it."

"Um," Giles took off his glasses as he talked, "this is your work?" he indicated the picture.

"No, one of the kids," Buffy answered looking at Giles like he was crazy.

"Oh. Um... Well, it would help if-if we knew what it was," he exhaled and continued, "I-it's invisible to you, but the, the children can see it./ Angel, can you see it?"

"No, but that doesn't mean anything. There are some demons that even other demons can't see," Angel answered.

/Cordelia interjected, "But you said you did see something the other night."

"Uh, yeah, but I was pretty delirious. I mean, it doesn't make any sense. Why would I see it then and not last night?"

The door to the room opened, and Buffy's mother came in. "Good morning," she said cheerfully. Giles put his glasses back on. She set down the bag she brought with her. "Ooo, looks like I interrupted a secret meeting."/

Angel said, "No, just Slayer stuff."

"Oh. I think that you should rest some more before you get back to slaying, Honey. Don't you agree, Angel?"

"Yes, but it seems as though that Buffy is the only one that can fight this thing," Angel gravely answered.

Joyce was not too happy with that answer, but she wasn't sure what to do about it. Like or not, sometimes her daughter had to save the world. "Well in that case I have some good news. /I, I just talked to the doctor, and she said I can take you home."

Buffy considered going home for a moment, but her sense of responsibility got the better of her. "No. I should stay here."

Joyce was confused. "But, honey, I thought you'd be raring..."

"The demon's here, Mom. I think/ you should tell the doctor that /my symptoms are flaring up/ or something."

/Joyce/ looked at Angel who nodded and then to Giles and he nodded as well. She asked, /"Are you sure?"

Buffy answered, "Oh, yeah, but just for a day... or s-so./ As soon as we find out what this thing is, how to kill it, I will destroy his a... uh butt and then go home!"

/Joyce replied, "Okay, well, I'll, uh, I'll talk to the doctor."

She went out of the room. Cordelia closed the door behind her.

"So what's the drill?" Xander asked looking at Buffy.

Buffy started giving out the orders like a well practiced general, "Giles, see if you can get a mug shot on that guy. I need to know what I'm fighting."

As he walked around the bed, Giles answered, "Right. Yes."

Buffy continued with her orders almost talking over Giles/ "Angel and /I will check Backer's office. See if/ we /can find any post-its marked 'why a monster might want me dead'."

Xander interjected, "Sounds like a plan."

Buffy continued, "Course, if/ we /find anything/ we /won't know what it means, so, Will..."

"Oh, yeah, I'm good at medical stuff since Xander and I used to play doctor all the time."

Xander chuckled and explained, "No, she's being literal." He got a look from Cordelia so he continued to explain, "She used to have all these medical volumes, uh, and diagnosed me with stuff. I didn't have the heart to tell her she was playing it wrong."

Shocked, Willow turned to Xander, "Wrong? Why?" Then she turned to Buffy and asked, "How did _you_ play doctor?"

Buffy/ looked to Angel and /evasively said, "I never have."/ Angel didn't say anything nor did he give any outward sign that he knew what the teenagers were talking about.

/Cordelia raised her eyebrows at Buffy and cleared her throat.

Giles picked up on the hint and said, "Um, fascinating though this is..."

"Yeah, right. Go!" Buffy interjected almost too quickly.

As, Giles, Xander, and Cordelia were walking out of the room, Giles said, "W-w-we'll call you if we... know something."

As the door was shutting behind the trio, Buffy called out, "Know something soon."

* * *

Buffy opened the door to Dr. Backer's office and poked in her head. Seeing that it's empty, she opened the door further to let Willow in, checked the hall and closed it behind her/ as Angel stood guard in the hall. /Buffy started to look around and checked out the reference volumes on the shelves by the fridge. Willow looked over the papers on his desk.

"It's weird going through his things," Willow said as Buffy opened the fridge. "Look, he didn't finish his coffee. Guess he won't." Willow looked at the printouts.

Buffy closed the fridge and said, "Yep, another person I wasn't in time to save." She walked to the desk. "It's too bad/ that vamp /didn't put me in the hospital sooner. There's something I never thought I'd hear myself say."

The two of them kept looking.

"Hey, wait, I think I have something," Willow said.

"Hmm. Sherlock."

"Okay, this makes sense. Dr. Backer was trying to inoculate the kids with a controlled dosage of the same virus they already had." She got a confused look from Buffy so she explained, "Oh, raising their temperatures to burn the fever out of them."

"Would that work?"

"According to this it was starting to. So he really was trying to help the kids."

"Till that thing stopped him."

* * *

Cordelia called Buffy and immediately said, "It's called Der Kindestod."

Buffy asked, "Who is this?"

Cordelia replied, "It's me. I've got your monster!"

"Where's Giles?"

"Looking up stuff."

"Well, can you put him on?"

"Hey! I found your guy, okay? Just listen."

"Right."

"The name means 'child death'. This book says that he feeds off of children by sucking the life out of them. Eew! But anyway, afterwards, it looks like they died because they were sick."

"So it did kill Tina."

"Yeah, that's my take. 'Cause it would be looking at the children's ward as basically an all-you-can-eat kind of thing, y'know."

"Backer was curing the kids and taking away the Kindestod's food."

"Hence, the slice-age."

Giles told Cordelia, "I found a picture of how it kills. Let me talk to her."

Cordelia took the book and looked, "Oh! Eww!"

Buffy asked Cordelia, "What?"

"Oh! Uh, you should see this thing! The way it does its thing, I mean, eww!" She handed the phone to Giles and got up. "Why do I let you guys drag me into this stuff?" She wondered as she left.

Giles talked into the phone, "Uh, uh, Buffy? Are you, are you still there?"

"Hanging on every eww."

"Uh, the, um, the Kindestod gorges by sitting atop his prey, pinning it down, uh, helplessly. Then he slowly draws out the life. I-it must be, uh, h-horrifying for the victim." Buffy just stared off into space. Giles concerned asked, "Buffy? Hello?"

Buffy was still holding the phone to her ear and staring off into space, as she realized that this monster killed her cousin.

"Buffy, w-what is it?" Giles asked./

Angel with his enhanced hearing heard everything and took the phone from Buffy and said, /"Thanks." Then he hung up.

In a daze, Buffy said, "It killed Celia."/

Angel /asked, "Your cousin?"

Buffy looked at her fiancé and said, "We have to get this thing, Angel, /before it gets any more kids."

Willow said, "You will."/

Talking over Willow, Angel said, "/We will, Muirnín."

/Buffy was frustrated and asked, "But how? I-I can't even see it."/

Angel gently reminded her, /"You saw it once."

"Did I? Uh, maybe my mind was playing tricks on me. I mean, I was crazed with that fever. Who knows..."

* * *

"Buffy/ Ionúin, /think about this,"/ Angel pleaded.

/"I have. Lots of thoughts," she whispered as she crouched down in front of the open fridge.

Willow spoke up, "It's crazy."

As Buffy searched the test-tubes, she explained, "The fever. That's how you see the Kindestod. That's why Celia could see it. That's why Ryan still can." She found the right one. "It's the only way."

Buffy stood back up and faced/ Angel and /Willow./

Angel was still worried and asked, /"But how are you gonna fight this thing with 107 degree temperature?"

Buffy looked at the test tube and said, "I guess we'll find out."/ Angel heard her heart speed up and knew that she was nervous about this, but he also knew that she would never admit it to anyone. He watched as /she uncapped the tube and raised it to drink the serum.

Willow quickly stopped her, "Buffy!"

"Willow, I'm going to do this."

"Buffy, that's 100 pure. It'll kill you in an instant."/

If Angel could have gone any paler than he already was he would have, instead he morphed into the vampire face and Buffy heard a low growl come from him and looked at him. He quickly morphed back into his human face before Willow saw.

/Buffy replied to Willow, "Oh. They really should put that on the label."

Willow reached into the refrigerator for a bottle of drinking water and grabbed a beaker that was sitting on top. Buffy closed the fridge while Willow set the beaker on the desk and opened the bottle. "It needs to be diluted," she explained as she poured some water into the beaker and closed the bottle.

"Okay, but this better work fast," Buffy said.

Willow took the test-tube and drew some of the serum into a dropper, she then held it over the beaker and let a single drop fall in.

Buffy impatiently said, "Faster than that."

Willow looked up at her, worried, but gave in and put another drop into the water./

As Buffy was about to take the beaker from Willow, Angel said, "Buffy wait." She looked up at him questioningly. He took her hand, led her to the opposite side of the office for some since of privacy, and said, "Mo Chroí,I don't like this."

Buffy interrupted him, "Angel, I have to do this. Even if you took the 100 pure thing, it wouldn't do anything to you. I'm the only one who can stop this thing."

Angel sighed, "I know. But I don't have to like it. I…I…" he sighed and tried to continue again, "If this thing doesn't work and you don't make it, I just wanted you to know I love you."

Buffy's heart melted and she said, "I love you, too, Angel." Angel leaned in and gave her a very passionate kiss. Buffy let him hold her there for a few more minutes sensing that he needed this.

After their talk and kiss, Buffy and Angel walked back over to Willow and /Buffy took the beaker, held it up and looked at it, then over at Willow/ and Angel. Angel gave a nod.

/Buffy said, "Here's to my health." After another moment's hesitation/ with Angel by her side holding her waist, /she drank the water and serum.

* * *

By the time they reached the children's ward, Buffy was already feeling the effects of the virus and walked unsteadily, breathing heavily as Angel supported her.

Buffy groaned, "Oh, God. I'm not sure this was such a good idea."/ That did not make Angel feel any better. Matter of fact it made him worry about her even more, but it was too late to do anything about it now. All he could do was hope that she would be able to fight the Der Kindestod and pull through the illness as she did before. He vowed not to leave her side.

/Willow was the one to reassure her, "Hang in there. You'll be okay."

Buffy grabbed a hold of the wall and said, "Okay. I'm okay."

They finally reached the door to the ward, and Buffy looked in through the door's window and that the beds were all empty.

Buffy told/ Angel and /Willow, "The kids. They're gone." They/ all /exchanged a surprised and very worried look.

Willow asked, "What could have happened?"

Buffy/ leaned on Angel and /said, "I don't know." Buffy turned and faced her best friend/ and fiancé, /"Maybe we're too late. Maybe they moved." She felt her forehead. "Maybe I don't... I'm burning up!" She looked back into the room and started to see something. "Will?/ Angel?"

"What?" Willow/ and Angel /asked/ together.

/"I think it's in there."

Buffy saw a form begin to take shape as though unfolding. It stepped over to a bed, and suddenly the Kindestod was clearly visible to Buffy. It looked into a bed and found it empty. She stared at it through the door's window. The monster looked over at another bed and noticed her staring. It straightened itself up and looked at her. Buffy's eyes went wide with fear. It just giggled maniacally and took off its hat to her. It kept an eye on her for another moment as it turned toward the other door to the ward, then it put the hat back on and walked to the other door. The Kindestod opened it and walked through calmly, and as it closed Buffy saw the sign on the door read "Basement Access".

Buffy frantically tried to follow, but the door to the ward was locked, and the virus had weakened her so much that she couldn't break it open. She frantically told her companions, "It's going after them! We gotta get 'em."

Before Angel could break the lock on the door and get it opened for them to go though, they saw Dr. Wilkinson coming around the corner, "Buffy?" she asked.

Buffy said, "Okay, we'll get 'em in a second."

Dr. Wilkinson quickly approached them, "What's wrong?"/

Angel said, /"I, uh, she's not feeling well again."

As Dr. Wilkinson put her arm around Buffy, she told Buffy, "You should be in bed."

Buffy argued, "No, no, it's not that bad."

Dr. Wilkinson was insistent, "No, you're coming with me." She starts to pull Buffy away.

Buffy said, "No!" and she pushed the doctor away and started to run down the hall./ Angel and /Willow quickly followed.

Willow looked back to the doctor and said, "She's sorry!"

Dr. Wilkinson grabbed a phone and dialed, "Security, come to the children's ward. We have a situation."

She hung up and ran after them.

Buffy and Willow ran through a pair of doors. Security guards head them off at the intersection.

Holding his baton threateningly, one of the guards said, "Okay, come on now. We can do this the easy way."

The two girls give each other worried looks, then Willow has an idea and starts to swat at herself with her hands. She frantically said, "Frogs! Frogs! Get 'em off of me!" Assuming she's the reason they were called, the two guards went toward her as she continued to swat at herself, "Oh, my God, frogs! Get them off of me! Please, help!"

Buffy/ and Angel /edged around the corner and quickly ran down the other hall. Buffy bumped into the wall, unsteady from her fever./ Angel steadied her and asked, "Muirnín, /are you okay?"

Buffy replied, "We need to get to the basement."/

Angel /supported Buffy as they hurried down the basement stairs./ "Muirnín, something just occurred to me. /You don't know how to kill this thing."

"I thought I might try violence."

"Solid call,"/ Angel /said as they headed down a tunnel.

They hear the kids screaming. Ryan had been thrown down by the Kinderstod and he was trying to get up. The monster growled as it slowly came for him. Ryan turned around and looked up at the Kindestod. He couldn't scream for fear. It knelt and leaned over him, and Ryan started to scream again. It took his head to hold him steady. The boy watched as the monster's eyes bugged out and split open. They extended from their sockets down toward his forehead. The monster drooled heavily and licked its lips. Its eyes made contact with Ryan's forehead. He screamed as he felt his energy being drained. Suddenly, the Kindestod got hit in the head with a large section of pipe, and its eyes snapped back into their sockets. Buffy was standing over it with the pipe held ready. "You make me sick," she said.

The Kindestod stood up and faced her. She swung the pipe at it again, but the monster blocked it and knocked it from her grip. Although/ Angel /couldn't see it, he saw that Buffy was fighting something and took the opportunity to go to Ryan and lift him up from the floor. "Up,"/ Angel /said gently as he picked the boy up and carried the boy over to the other kids.

Buffy was not in top form as she fought the Kindestod, and it gained the upper hand and punched her twice in the face, then threw her against a pipe./

Angel /found the other children and started to herd them away, "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon! Hurry!" He followed them, throwing a few glances over at Buffy along the way.

She swung twice at the monster, but it just leaned back and avoided the blows. It grabbed her again and threw her into another pipe. She recovered quickly, spotted a raised grating and hopped up onto it. She took a good look at the Kindestod, and then jumped from the grate and landed a hard kick on its face. It stumbled back and to its knee as she landed on her feet. She kicked it three more times while it tried to get back up./

Angel /came back after leading the kids away and watched her fight. He saw her kick, but to him it looked like she was fighting thin air. He heard her get hit, and she spun around and let out a grunt of pain./ He had to fight his own instinct to go help her. He wanted to help, but he couldn't see the thing to fight it.

/The monster took her by the shoulder and backhand punched her in the face again. He took her by the throat, lifted her up and threw her into some sections of large duct tube. Buffy was dazed and she just laid there on the pipe./ Angel started to go to her, but then realized since he couldn't see the monster, that he might distract her, so again, he had to fight his instincts to protect her.

/The Kindestod reached down for its hat, brushed it off and put it back on. Buffy recovered from her daze, but not in time to get away as it knelt and reached for her head. It held her steady with both hands. Its eyes bug out and split open again. She reached up for its head with both hands and gave it a good quick twist. The monster's neck snaps loudly, and it fell over dead next to her. Buffy stood up and looked down at the Kindestod's prone body./ Angel /finally dared to come closer. Concerned he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Actually," she looked up at him, "I think I'm starting to feel better. Let's..." She took a step, but lost her balance and fell into/ Angel. /"Oh!"

He puts his arm around her to support her, and they go. He asked, "He's dead right? I mean, I heard something snap./ That was his bones and not your bones, right?"

/"That would be his neck."/

* * *

Angel took Buffy back to her room to let her sleep off the fever. That evening, she was released from the hospital. Angel and Joyce decided that it was for the best that Buffy be in her own room and in her own bed for the next couple of days. Angel stayed with Buffy and had to endure watching teenage horror movies with Willow, Xander, and Buffy.

"That's what the Der Kindestod looked like?" Angel asked when he saw Freddie Kruger.

"Yeah, well without the razors for fingernails. And his nose was a lot bigger. But the burnt look, yeah," Buffy said. /She was lying back comfortably/ leaning against Angel's chest as he sat behind her propped against the headboard. /Xander was lounging on the bed next to her, munching away on cheesy chips and watching TV. Willow was on the floor next to the bed surrounded with pillows.

Joyce walked in with a sandwich on a plate and a glass of juice, "Here you go, Honey. Peanut butter and jelly, without the crust, just the way you like it." She sat on the bed next to Buffy and put the glass on the nightstand.

Buffy asked, "And the juice?"

Joyce handed Buffy the plate, "Two parts orange, one part grapefruit."

"That's my drink."

"I measured it exactly," she said as she got up to go.

Buffy looked at the sandwich, "Oh, mom?"

"Mm-hm?"

"I wanted crunchy peanut butter."

"Oh, sorry," she went back to Buffy.

"A-and I said extra jelly," Buffy said as she held up the plate.

Joyce smiled and said, "Anything to help my daughter get well."

She started to go again, but Willow said, "Oh, and while you're up, could I get a refill? It's just I'm so comfortable."

Joyce stepped over and took the glass, "Of course."

Willow said, "Thanks."

Then Xander chimed in, "Oh, oh, oh, and another bag of cheesy chips." He tossed an empty bag away.

Joyce raised her eyebrows at him, "Uh, you ate the last one."

"No, there's another bag hidden behind the raisins," Xander said as if he lived there.

Joyce sighed, "I'm on it."/ She started to leave then turned and asked, "Angel, do you need anything? We have some blood in the fridge."

"No thank you. I'm fine," Angel smiled at her. If Buffy hadn't been in his lap he would have offered to help Joyce, but he wasn't about to leave now.

/Joyce left the room and Xander told Buffy, "Your mom's tryin' to Bogart the cheesy chips. What's that all about?"

Joyce walked back into the room holding an envelope. "Oh, Buffy, here. Um, this came in the mail."

Buffy read the return address and smiled, "It's from Ryan." She opened it.

Joyce asked, "The boy from the hospital?"

Buffy took out the paper inside and unfolded it. Joyce looked down at it and smiled, "Oh, he drew you a picture. How... nice."

The picture was of Buffy standing over the Kindestod with her foot up on its chest and with blood on her shirt. The monster's neck was split open and blood was gushing out./

* * *

_**A/N 2:** Ghostbusters Lyrics sung by Ray Parkley Jr. for the 1980's movie Ghostbusters. Not sure who wrote the song. Next chapter is the Wedding Chapter and there will be two versions for that chapter! :-) T__hanks for all the reviews and please review. Chapter 9 is at the betas now. Just waiting on them to get it back to me. :-)_

_hugs_

Mac


	9. The Wedding

* * *

Chapter 9

* * *

_A/N: Extra Beta work on this chapter. Thanks to the following betas for your help in getting this chapter perfect. Ginger, Debbie, and MS Hyde, and of course my regular Betas also helped with this chapter. Charlotte wrote the first NC-17 scene and Tani wrote the second NC-17 scene. Yes, you read that right! There are **two** NC-17 scenece this chapter. I thought that one this chpater just called for two NC-17 scenes and two it's been a few chapters since a NC-17 scene, so I didn't think that two would be too over whelming for you, LOL. Thanks girls for the hard work that you put into these two scenes for me. {{hugs}}__ Charlotte, I lost your email, please email me at my new email address, LadyMacKenzie at gamil dot com Thanks. Please welcome Red Rider to my beta team! Thanks, Red, for all your help on this chapter._

_  
__A/N 2:__** Grá mo chroí**__ means __**Love of my heart**__; __**Tá mé chomh mór sin i ngrá leat**__ means __**I love you so much**__; __**Muirnín**__ means __**Sweetheart, Beloved, **__and__** Darling**__._ _I have it in my mind that Angel is using it to mean Sweetheart, but use endearment you like best. Translations are from www dot englishirishdictionary dot com slash home __If I missed a translation please let me know what word I missed so I can correct it. In the meantime, you can go to that URL to find it. _

* * *

Angel, dressed in a black tux with a white rose boutonnière and white cummerbund, stood at the large picture window and looked out at the beautifully decorated garden behind the mansion on Crawford Street. Chairs marched to the altar, a red bow gracing the aisle end of each row. The altar was a stage with an arch with climbing red roses woven through the white lattice work. Red, green and white bows decorated the altar and candles lined the path from the door to the altar. A white tent was set up over the whole, completing the perfect scene.

Angel surveyed the crowd, glad for Buffy's sake that so many of her family could attend. Buffy's maternal and paternal grandparents were there, as were some of her aunts, uncles and cousins, and even some great aunts and uncles she had only seen a few times in her life.

Xander, and Willow's parents were there, as were some of Joyce and Hank's business associates. Whistler was there to support Angel, and when Willy heard about the wedding he had to see The Slayer marry a vampire, even if said vampire had a soul. The party crowd at Sunnydale High School had heard about the wedding and came not because they really knew Buffy, but the paper did say that a reception would follow and they never missed a party. Wouldn't they be surprised when they found out that there would be no alcohol. Buffy was, after all, only seventeen and Angel, Buffy, Hank and Joyce had decided it would be best. After all, they didn't want to be responsible for a car wreck because of a teenager driving home drunk. There would be sparkling grape juice for the toast. And of course Angel's pewter goblet would be filled with blood courtesy of Willy. Willy had promised Angel that it would be the best he ever had.

Angel nervously watched Xander, wearing a black tux with a hunter green cummerbund and bow tie, light the candles as soon as the sun set. The music changed from "Sunrise, Sunset" to "We've Only Just Begun" and Angel and the Honorable Matthew Smith, a justice of the peace, walked to the altar. When Pachelbel: Cannon in D major began to play, Buffy's six year old cousin, Margaret, adorable in a plain short sleeve hunter green taffeta dress with a sweetheart neckline and white lace at the hem, walked down the aisle carrying a basket of rose petals. As she dropped the rose petals on the ground, her 8 year old brother, Louis, in a tux that matched Xander's, carried a white pillow with two faux silver rings tied to it.

Angel fidgeted as the procession went on. What if Buffy changed her mind at the last minute? After all, he thought of himself as a monster, why wouldn't she? He didn't deserve her after all the things he had done before his soul was restored.

Then the wedding march started, and Buffy appeared like a vision from a dream, escorted by her father, Hank, and Giles. Giles had been like a father to her since he had become her Watcher, but at the same time, she didn't want to leave her father out. Hank had been grateful that Buffy had someone there for her when he couldn't be. Giles was deeply honored.

*_This is really happening,_ Buffy thought_. It's not a dream, it's really happening. I'm marrying Angel. I love him so much. And God, he looks hot! Oh, I can't wait to get him alone in the bedroom after the reception!!!_ *

Angel couldn't think straight. *_She's going through with this. She really does love me. I don't deserve her, but I'm not going to complain. I love her so much. And she's so beautiful, inside and out. Out of all of the women that I have known, both as a human and as a vampire, she is the one. She was made for me._*

When the trio reached the altar, Judge Smith began. "We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite Buffy Anne Summers and Liam Angelus MacKenzie in marriage. Should there be anyone who has cause why this couple should not be united in marriage, they must speak now or forever hold their peace." When no one said anything, he continued, "Who is it that brings this woman to be wed?"

Hank and Giles answered simultaneously, "We, her family, do." Hank lifted Buffy's veil just enough to give her a kiss on the cheek, then took her right hand with Giles and placed it in Angel's hand. Giles also kissed Buffy's cheek and then took his place as Best Man next to Angel.

The judge continued, "Buffy and Liam, I would ask that you both remember to treat yourself and each other with respect, and remind yourself often of what brought you together today. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your marriage deserves. When frustration and difficulty assail your marriage - as happens in every relationship at one time or another - focus on what still seems right between you, instead of the part that seems wrong. This way, when clouds of trouble hide the sun in your lives and you lose sight of it for a moment, you can remember that the sun is still there. And if each of you will take responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight." He paused to let his words sink in.

"Liam, do you take Buffy to be your wife?"

Angel smiled and looked intensely into Buffy's eyes as he said, "I do."

"Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her forevermore?"

"I do."

Judge Smith turned to Buffy and asked, "Buffy, do you take Liam to be your Husband?"

She beamed, staring into Angel's eyes as she answered, "I do."

"Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him forevermore?"

"I do."

Buffy handed Willow her bouquet of red roses and Willow gave her the white gold ring that had five diamonds embedded in it that she had chosen for her groom. On the inside the words "grá mo chroí" were engraved. Buffy had looked up some Gaelic sayings and when she found that "grá mo chroí" meant the "love of my heart", she felt that perfectly expressed her feelings for Angel. Buffy slipped the ring onto her thumb and turned to face Angel.

Angel turned to Giles for Buffy's ring. It had a 2 karat diamond in a raised setting with a karat worth of smaller diamonds around it, and it was also engraved with "grá mo chroí". Facing Buffy, he took her hands, and repeated after Judge Smith, "I, Liam Angelus MacKenzie, take thee, Buffy Anne Summers, to be my wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, I promise my love to you." Angel then slipped the ring onto Buffy's ring finger and vowed, "With this ring, I take you as my wife, for as long as we both shall live." Angel then brought her hand up to his lips and kissed the ring.

Buffy then repeated after Judge Smith, "I, Buffy Anne Summers, take thee, Liam Angelus MacKenzie, to be my Husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, I promise my love to you." She then slipped the ring onto Angel's ring finger and vowed, "With this ring, I take you as my husband, for as long as we both shall live." Buffy then brought Angel's hand up to her lips and kissed the ring.

Judge Smith continued, "Buffy and Liam, as the two of you come into this marriage uniting you as husband and wife, and as you this day affirm your faith and love for one another, I would ask that you always remember to cherish each other as special and unique individuals, that you respect the thoughts, ideas and suggestions of one another. Be able to forgive, do not hold grudges, and live each day that you may share it together - as from this day forward you shall be each other's home, comfort and refuge, your marriage strengthened by your love and respect for each other.

"Just as two threads woven in opposite directions will form a most beautiful tapestry, so too can your two lives merged together make a beautiful marriage. To make your relationship work will take love. This is the core of your marriage and why you are here today. It will take trust, to know in your hearts that you truly want the best for each other. It will take dedication, to stay open to one another - and to learn and grow together. It will take faith, to go forward together without knowing exactly what the future brings. And it will take commitment, to hold true to the journey you both pledged today to share together.

"Buffy and Liam, in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in Matrimony, have promised your love for each other by these vows, the joining of your hands and the giving of these rings, I now declare you to be Husband and Wife.

"Congratulations, you may kiss your bride." The judge grinned.

Buffy took a deep, shaky breath and blinked back tears of joy, suddenly overwhelmed by the thought that she was finally married to the love of her life. Angel smiled and winked at her, relieved that she had gone through with the wedding. Pulling her close, Angel kissed her sweetly, with just a hint of the passion to come.

Judge Smith's voice boomed. "It is my privilege to present to you Mr. & Mrs. Liam Angelus MacKenzie"

There were whistles and catcalls scattered among the clapping from the crowd. The bride and groom went down the aisle, eyes locked together as though they were alone.

* * *

The ballroom was decorated with red, green, and white streamers and balloons. Oblong tables lined the walls and a stage was set up for the band and DJ. There was plenty of room for everyone to dance in the middle of the room.

By the time Angel and Buffy and the rest of the wedding party got to the ballroom, everything was ready. Before they sat down, Angel pulled Buffy into a quick kiss as the rest of the guests entered.

When it seemed as though the guests were ready for dessert, Giles stood up to make his toast. "As Best Man, it is my duty to make a toast to the bride and groom. I've known Buffy longer than I have known Angel. Buffy and her closest friends spend their study hall period in the school library where I work. Over the past year and half, I have come to think of them as the children I never had. I met Angel when he walked into the library last year to help Buffy with some research. As I watched their relationship grow into something more, I was concerned for Buffy's heart, but at the same time a deep friendship had formed between Angel and myself. I only wish that I can some day have the kind of love that Angel and Buffy have. Theirs is truly an eternal love." And everyone took a sip of sparkling grape juice.

"Thank you." Angel quietly said to Giles.

When the time was right, Buffy and Angel walked hand in hand to the middle of the room and the DJ played From This Moment On sung by Shania Twain and Brian White. As the first notes filled the air, their eyes met and everyone else seemed to disappear. Pulling her close to him, he breathed in the sweet raspberry scent that was solely Buffy. *_She's mine, really and truly mine. What did I do for the powers that be to decide to give her to me?_*

As they danced, Buffy thought, *_I love him so much. I'm now married to the love of my life. I'm Mrs. MacKenzie now. I can't believe it. It's a dream come true. Being The Slayer, I never thought that I would live to see this day._*

Buffy danced with Hank to Butterfly Kisses. As Hank listened to the words of the song, he was thankful that, even though he had not been around much since the divorce, Buffy still wanted him to walk her down the aisle. But where would his place be in her life now that she was married?

Buffy was glad that her dad had come. He had missed so much of her life since she had been called, and since she and her mom had moved to Sunnydale shortly after the divorce, she saw even less of him. She hoped that now that she was married, her dad would come to see her more often without feeling as though he was intruding on her mom's time with her.

Giles claimed her for the next song, Unforgettable by Natalie and Nat King. Buffy was thankful for Giles. Her watcher in LA had been distant, like he was afraid to get attached. Giles, on the other hand, was more caring. He had been there whenever she needed a father figure to talk to, and at the same time, he was her friend, like Xander and Willow.

Buffy and Angel greeted their guests and after a little while, Buffy threw her bouquet, which Willow caught, and after Angel threw the garter, which Giles caught, he took his new wife up to the master bedroom.

As Angel carried her over the threshold, Buffy gasped, "Oh, Angel, it's perfect!"

The room was decorated in red roses, and red rose petals were strewn across the bed's black satin sheets and comforter. A bucket of ice and a bottle of champagne and two champagne glasses waited on a bedside table. After all, one glass of champagne shouldn't hurt. Angel gently laid her on the bed and joined her.

"We have a little while before midnight," Angel said as he kissed her.

"And just what did you have planned?" Buffy teased.

"I'll show you," Angel grinned seductively. "Tá mé chomh mór sin I ngrá leat,Muirnín," he murmured, and then he kissed her . Buffy sighed as his tongue traced her lips, seeking entrance to her mouth. His hands traced the contours of her body as her mouth opened to his tongue and his fingers carefully undid the ties of her satin wedding gown. As she shifted to remove the gown, Angel's erection pressed hard against her belly.

Breaking the kiss, Angel leaned back slightly to gaze at his bride's undergarments. Buffy's silk strapless bra covered just enough of her pert breasts to make him want more; her silk panties, noticeably damp at the crotch, were complemented by a belt and suspenders which highlighted her tanned, toned thighs. Drinking in the sight, Angel groaned as his cock stiffened. He covered one cup of the bra with his hand as he leaned in to kiss her once more. Buffy made quick work of removing Angel's tux, desperately wanting to feel his bare skin against hers. Down to only his black boxers he gently removed her bra and lowered his mouth to her breasts. Buffy groaned, wrapping her legs around him tightly as his tongue laved one hard nipple and his fingers teased the other. As his ministrations intensified he ground his cock against her panties; Buffy's breathing quickened, a flush climbing her chest. She was close, so she ground herself harder against Angel's groin, a movement which he willingly reciprocated. Sensing her frustration, Angel bit down on her nipple, sending her toppling over the edge into wave upon wave of orgasm. Buffy screamed Angel's name as her hips jerked involuntarily upwards.

Buffy blushed slightly, gazing into Angel's passion laden eyes she wondered, "D'ya think anyone heard?"

"You came from just that?" asked Angel, incredulous.

"Sure," Buffy blushed again, "you get me worked up".

Gazing down at her, Angel smiled the sexy half smile she loved so much and leaned down to kiss her, his hard cock bumping against her thigh as he moved. As the kiss deepened Angel pushed his hand into Buffy's silk panties, his fingers dancing lightly over her sodden curls. Groaning in response, Buffy reached for Angel's boxers, moving them down his legs to release his hard, aching cock. Pulling away from the kiss, Buffy gazed hungrily downwards, licking her lips before taking him into the palm of her hand. Sharply taking a breath he didn't need, Angel pulled Buffy's panties away, the suspender belt followed and he slowly pushed one finger into her tight, wet pussy as he thrust into her hand, their lips meeting once again, their tongues sliding over each other as their passions rose.

Breathless, Buffy broke the kiss and spoke in Angel's ear. "I need your cock, Baby, let me ride you," she groaned daringly. Were it not for years of self-control, Angel felt sure that Buffy's words, her voice husky with arousal, would have quickly tipped him over the edge.

Groaning, Angel rolled over so that Buffy rested on top of him. Her thighs fell softly at either side of his legs, his hard cock nestled against her thigh as she lifted her body to take him inside her. She gasped as his throbbing cock filled her. Nervous, but excited by the control she had over Angel, Buffy slowly moved, twisting her hips slightly as she set the rhythm, moving slowly up and down, creating a delicious friction. Angel's hands caressed her body, cupping her ass and tracing up her torso to grasp her tits. Soon, the pleasure was agonizing and the couple moaned in unison. Impatient for the bliss to come, Buffy quickened her pace, slamming Angel's cock into her harder, faster and deeper. Angel's hands moved, one to steady her hip, the other to play with her throbbing clit as she moved faster still, her tits bouncing erotically as she slammed against him. His balls tightened and he knew he was close to his release, so he rubbed her clit harder, "Cum for me, Muirnín," he groaned. With one final movement Buffy screamed her release. Feeling Angel's cool seed spurt inside her she collapsed, boneless and pleasantly numb, to rest against his body.

The guests that didn't know about vampires and other demons started to leave about thirty minutes after Buffy and Angel went upstairs. Of course, the only people who knew that Buffy and Angel were still in the house were those that were supposed to stay until midnight.

"Joyce, let me help you clean this up. I'm sure that Buffy doesn't want to come home to this mess in a week," Joyce's sister offered.

"Oh, that's alright, Darlene. Angel hired a cleaning crew to clean up. Go on back to my house and get those kids in bed. Margaret and Louis can sleep in Buffy's old room. Hank and I will be staying to oversee the cleanup crew."

"Are you sure? I could stay and help."

"I'm positive. Here's the key. Get those kids in bed and get some sleep yourself. I will be there in a while." Joyce smiled.

"Well, if you're sure."

"I'm sure."

* * *

Buffy laid her head on Angel's chest as he held her close, both of them sated from their first time making love as husband and wife. He looked over at the clock and said, "It's almost midnight. We need to get ready."

"Right," Buffy agreed. She walked naked over to the walk-in closet and took out a white sleeveless leather dress that came to mid thigh.

Angel donned skin tight black leather pants with a blood red velvet shirt, buttoned only half way up. "I'll meet you downstairs."

"OK, I'm just going to freshen up my make up and I'll be right down."

"Alright," Angel said and gave her a chaste kiss and then left the room.

* * *

Angel walked out into the gardens and saw that everyone was sitting under the tent. "The candles need to be relit," he said to no one in particular.

While Miss Calendar relit the candles, Angel went back inside to wait for Buffy to come downstairs. "Are you sure you want to go through with this?" he asked apprehensively.

Buffy smiled, "Of course I'm sure." It was sweet that he wanted to make sure that she wanted to go through the Bonding Ceremony, but there was no doubt in her mind that she this is what she wanted to do. He married her in her world, and she wanted to marry him in his world.

They walked arm in arm back down aisle to the altar where Jenny Calendar and Giles waited.

Jenny said to the small crowd, "It is rare for a vampire to Mark a Mate. It is even rarer for that Mate to be human. But this is the first time a vampire has taken The Slayer as a Mate."

Giles then said, "However, Angelus is also the first vampire to regain his soul. And as The Slayer's Watcher, I was concerned with this relationship; nonetheless, Angelus has proved time and time again how much he loves Buffy. As The Slayer's Watcher I give full consent for her to be mated to Angelus, Master of the Order of Aurelius. Hank Summers, as Buffy's father, do you give your consent for her to be Mated with Angelus?"

"I do."

"Joyce Summers, as Buffy's mother do you give your consent for her to be mated with Angelus?"

Jenny asked.

"I do."

"Buffy, we wish to make sure that you enter into this union fully aware of what it means," Jenny said.

"Being mated to a vampire is different from being married. There is no such thing as divorce if it doesn't work out," Giles said gravely.

"You are mated for life, and even in death you are still mated. A vampire can only take one Mate in his or her un-life. While you are human, the mark that you receive tonight will stay with you until your final death. No other will be able to take you as his Mate. Do you understand this?" Jenny finished.

Buffy looked somberly into Angel's eyes and answered, "I do."

"And you are sure that you want to be mated to Angelus?" Giles asked.

Not taking her eyes from Angel's, she repeated, "I do."

"Angelus, do you wish to say anything?" Giles asked.

"Buffy, in the two hundred forty six years that I have walked this earth, I have never loved anyone as I love you. I have never given my heart or my soul to anyone before. Then you came into my life, and everything changed. Even before I was turned, I was a lazy man who did everything he could to avoid an honest day's work. I have told you about my past and you have read about the things that I did before my soul was restored to me, yet you love me anyway. Everything about me that is good is because of you. For this I am eternally in your debt. I don't deserve you, but I love you with all my body, soul, and demon. You are truly my Soul's Mate, and I will do everything in my power to give you the happiness that you deserve," Angel vowed.

"Buffy, do you have anything you wish to say?" Jenny asked.

"Angelus, I see in you a kind and loving soul. I love you for who you are today. I don't only love just one part of you, but all of you. I love your past, for it led you to me, I love your present because you have changed and you are seeking redemption, and I love your future because it will be spent with me. I love you with all that I am; you are truly my Soul's Mate. I will help you in your quest for redemption and I will do everything in my power to give you the happiness that you deserve," Buffy responded.

"Angelus, Buffy, you may mark each other now," Giles said.

Angel took Buffy's left hand and cut his neck using the nail on her left ring finger. Then, he morphed into his vampire's face and bent down and bit into the right side of her neck. Buffy put her mouth over the wound in Angelus' neck and a small drop of Angel's blood touched her tongue.

It took all of Angel's self control to take just a couple of sips of her powerful blood, but he knew if he took anymore than that, he would make love to her right there in front of everybody.

After just a few seconds, Angel and Buffy pulled away. Holding her close, he fervently kissed his Mate.

* * *

As they turned and walked back down the aisle, Spike and Dru left the shadows where they had hid and walked away unnoticed. "Well, pet, he did it. He marked her in a Bonding Ceremony, no less," Spike said.

"I have a new mummy," Dru said forlornly as they walked back to the factory. "But I don't like her. She took my daddy away for good."

* * *

Buffy laughed as Angel scooped her up and carried her to the bed. It seemed like she'd been waiting for this moment forever when in truth it had only been a few hours, but even an hour without being in Angel's arms was one hour too long. She didn't know how she'd managed to keep from jumping his bones. And now here they were, wrapped in each other's arms. Buffy sighed contentedly.

He lowered his head and covered her lips with his. His tongue swept the hot recesses of her mouth and they both moaned with delight. It didn't seem possible, but the passion built higher every time they kissed.

He quickly divested her of her clothing, even as he fought to remove his own, freeing her body to his gaze and his touch. Angel's hands glided across her body and she writhed against him in silent supplication, her body on fire with need. Her small hands tangled in his hair as his lips found her breast. She whimpered as his tongue laved the tender nipple until it peaked and he quickly drew the tempting morsel into his mouth, suckling until she moaned.

His hands traversed her silky skin towards the light brown curls at the apex of her thighs. He groaned into her mouth as he gently stroked the folds of her womanhood, unbearably aroused to find she was beyond ready for him. The heat of her was so intense, his fingers were scorched.

His body jerked as her fingers closed around his hard shaft. His fingers moved within her, matching the rhythm of her caresses. He hissed as her hand tightened around him, driving him helplessly nearer the edge. Angel couldn't keep the growl from escaping him--she was driving him crazy.

Unable to stand the torment any longer, he covered her body with his own. Her hot skin against his cool body made him shiver and he ached to possess her. His manhood throbbed insistently at the entrance to her hot core and he groaned as Buffy raised her legs to encircle his hips, driving him into her in one smooth thrust. He closed his eyes as her hot sheath surrounded him, hips thrusting as his lips claimed hers in a spine tingling kiss. Her legs tightened, locking him into place. His thrusts went deeper and deeper, sending waves of pure bliss shooting throughout their bodies. Her inner muscles began contracting around him, sending answering waves shooting through his. But he wanted more - no, he needed more. "*_I need to…no, I can't. She's my wife, not my prey. She's not a vampire. I won't.*"_

_  
_He almost roared with victory when she turned her head and offered up the tender skin of her neck, Angel looked deep into his wife's beautiful green eyes and let her see all the love he had for her deep within his heart. Without further thought he buried his fangs into the mark he'd made earlier. He trembled as her rich blood flowed across his tongue, more powerful than any aphrodisiac. His hips ground against hers, going harder, faster, deeper with each thrust as she quivered helplessly in the throes of her orgasm. She raked her nails down the tender skin of her husband's back, leaving bloody furrows in their wake, as bliss washed over her. The taste and smell of blood set off his own powerful orgasm, ripping through his body like a tidal wave. Acting on instinct, he closed the puncture wounds and raised his head to howl.

Angel rolled off his wife's sated body and pulled her against him. He lay there in silence, his hands gently stroking her glistening body. A satisfied smile lit his handsome face at the sounds coming from his wife. It sounded as if she was actually purring. He couldn't wait to see if he could make her do it all over again.

As Angel lay with his Mate in his arms, his body pressed against her back, he thought, "*_Why did you offer your blood to me like that?*"_

_  
_Buffy smiled and said, "Because you needed it."

"What?" Angel asked.

"You needed my blood, so I offered it."

Angel smiled, "How did you know that I was just wondering that?"

Buffy smiled and gave a small chuckle, "You just asked, Silly."

Angel was puzzled, "No, I didn't."

"Yes, you did. I heard you."

Angel knew he hadn't spoken his thought. _"*Buffy, during the Bonding Ceremony, did you swallow any of my blood?*"_

_  
_"Well, a drop got on my tongue. Why? What does that have to do with anything?"

That time he knew he hadn't said anything out loud, and she had answered him as though he had. She could hear his thoughts. He turned her to face him and kissed her. _"*You're hearing my thoughts.*"_

_  
"*What?*"_

Suddenly Angel realized he could hear her thoughts as well. He broke the kiss and looked into her eyes. "*_It sometimes happens with Bonded Mates, but as far as I know, it's only happened between two vampires. The little bit of my blood that you got, must've triggered this.*"_

_  
"*Is this good?*" Buffy_ asked.

_"*Yes, Muirnín, it's a very good thing,*"_ Angel smiled and kissed her again.

* * *

_A/N 3:** Thank you to Ducks for giving permission to use her idea of Buffy and Angel using telepathy.** Words in *italics* and surrounded by "" are Buffy and Angel using their telepathy bond. Words in *italics* are thoughts._

_A/N 4: Pictures will be late getting up on the website. I have no internet access at my home right now, so until I get it back, the website will not be updated. So sorry for the inconvience. I will try to work something out so that you can see pictures of the wedding invite, the rings, and the wedding and Bonding poitrits with the Wedding Cirtificate._

_I pray that everyone has Merry CHRISTmas and Happy New Year!!!_

_{{{Hugs}}}_

_Mac_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_**Author's Note: Some of the dialogue and action in this chapter is a direct quote from the transcript **__**//Passion//**__** (Buffy: The Vampire Slayer Season 2 episode 17) written by Ty King. To make some parts fit, I had to rearrange the order of some events. The parts that are in **__**//red//**__**, are from the transcript that Ty King wrote.**_

_**  
I have tried to stay with canon as much as possible, but there are somethings in this chapter that I think maybe fanon instead of canon. For those who don't know, canon is something that was shown on the screen, something that was said about the show by creators, writers, any of the behind the scenes crew members or cast members. Fanon is something that has been accepted by the fans because of it being used in fanfiction a lot or because it just makes since. Example of canon would be the term "Sire" for a vampire who turns another vampire. Example of fanon is the term "childe" (or any other spelling of the word "child") as the vampire who was turned. However, I couldn't get away from these terms and some other things that maybe considered fanon. A few of the things at the end of this chapter may not even be fanon, but they are used by a lot of fanfiction authors who write the character Angel and I found as I was writing these things slipping into my story. So please forgive me if you came up with idea and I didn't give you credit. Just email me and I will give you credit.  
**_

_**Words in italic and surrounded by "" are Buffy and Angel using their telepathic bond and only Buffy and Angel can hear them. I have italicized for emphasis and for thoughts not heard by others. Just look at the context and you will know which is which. **__****_

_**  
This time the Irish Gaelic Translations are at end of chapter.**_

_**Thank you, Jena, for writing the NC-17 scene this chapter and helping me to make this chapter better by filling in a plot hole. **_

_**Thank you ekimmuh for the real quick beta on this chapter! **__**:-)**_

_**{{Hugs}}**_

_**

* * *

  
**_Since the following week was Spring Break for Buffy, Buffy and Angel went on a honeymoon. While they were gone they explored the telepathic bond that they had and found out that they could only communicate telepathically when touching bare skin to bare skin.

Angel also felt the bonds on the demon living inside him loosening. Before it was like they were one being. He was just a demon with a human sense of right and wrong. Now, it was like he was a human with a demon living inside him whispering to him things to do. He had the choice weather or not to do them though and he just ignored the demon's taunting. He didn't want Buffy to worry so he didn't say anything to her about it. Buffy, however, knew that Angel could hear the demon. When they were touching bare skin to bare skin she could also hear him. She didn't know that this was something new and she didn't know that Angel felt like he was slowly loosing control over the demon.

* * *

"So how was Ireland?" Willow asked a week later when Buffy came to school.

"It was great! I loved seeing where Angel grew up. It was so gorgeous!" Buffy then excitedly but gently grabbed Willow's elbow and continued, "Will! He has a private jet! I wasn't sure how we were going to get there, since he had said that he couldn't trust an airplane, but he let me know that when he found out about the Necro-tempered glass, he bought a plane with Necro-tempered glass! He told me that he bought the plane just so that he could take me to Ireland for our honeymoon," Buffy was grinning from ear to ear.

"I'm happy you had fun," Willow said.

"So what did you guys do for Spring Break?" Buffy asked.

"Oh you know, just hung out. Nothing demony happened while you were gone," Xander said.

"Well that's good," Buffy answered back.

* * *

A month later, Buffy and Angel were in L.A. for her dad's birthday. While they were there, they met the gang of vampire hunters that had saved Hank. "Thanks for saving my dad," Buffy was saying.

"Hey, it's what we do," Gunn said.

"Yeah, but it's dangerous for you to do it," Buffy countered. "And I bet you don't even get a thank you."

"Not usually. Your dad is the only one that has ever thanked us," one of the boys said.

"How long have you been doing this?" Buffy asked.

"About a year and half now," the girl said.

Buffy thought she remembered the leader introducing the girl as his younger sister, Alana. Buffy thought about the answer for a second. It seemed as though they had started hunting vampires when she left L.A. for Sunnydale. After she realized this she said, "Well, don't look for anyone else to be thanking you."

"How is it that you know so much?" One of the teens asked.

"I'm The Slayer," Buffy said.

"Slayer? What's that?" Gunn asked.

"The Chosen One…the one girl in all the world with the strength and skill to fight and kill vampires and other demons…" Buffy explained.

"Never heard of a Slayer. You're so little. You couldn't possibly be a threat to a vamp," Gunn snorted.

Angel smiled and full of pride for his wife, said, "Care to patrol with us tonight?"

"Sure. We'll cover you. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

Angel and Buffy just smiled. Buffy went into in the kitchen where Hank was washing the dishes and said, "Dad, we're going to patrol. We'll be back in a few hours."

"Alright, Honey. Be careful."

"We will."

"Angel, take care of my little girl."

"I will, Hank. After all, she's my wife," Angel smiled.

"Ya'll are married?" Gunn asked surprised.

Buffy nodded as Angel said, "Yeah."

"Do you know who the Master vamp is around here?" Buffy asked.

"You want to go after the big guy?" Gunn asked skeptically.

One of the other boys spoke up, "Let's start off with the babies. There were a couple of vamp attacks the other night."

"Sure, just stay out of our way. We need to warm up and fledglings are easy to stake." Angel said as he put his arm around Buffy's waist and unnoticeably put his thumb under the hem of her shirt so that he was touching bare skin. _"You take the vamps while I protect the kids. I'm worried that they are in over their heads."_

Buffy nodded. Gunn and his gang took them to a cemetery and while they were waiting for one of the vamp victims to rise, Buffy and Angel were looking at the crossbows that the vampire hunters were using. "These are nice," Angel said. _T__he ones we have in Sunnydale are better. But what do expect from a bunch of kids who have no backing from the Watcher Council or any money._

After waiting for half an hour, Angel took Buffy's hand and said telepathically, _"I can hear him starting to rise. It shouldn't be much longer now."_

Buffy just nodded her head. It wasn't long after that the fledgling made it's way to the top of the ground and climbed out of the grave. When the newly risen vamp was standing on the ground, Buffy gave it one of her quips and thus began the fight. When Buffy sent the fledgling flying into a gravestone simply by kicking him, the vampire hunters were impressed with her strength, but were still leery about Buffy going up against the "Big Guy."

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a vampire said from the shadows. "I thought The Slayer was on the Hellmouth," he continued as he came out of the shadows.

"Well I was, now I'm here. Who are you?" Buffy asked.

"Your worst nightmare," the vampire said.

"Really? I thought I killed my worst nightmare last year."

"And who was that?"

At the same time, Angel turned to the vampire hunters and whispered, "Stay out this. Let us handle it." He then stepped out of the shadows and told the vampire who Buffy had killed, "The Master of Aurelius."

"Angelus is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"What have you been up to this past century? The last time I saw you, Darla had you, Dru, and Spike in Romania. Let's see that was what…1898?"

"Yeah, Simon, it was 1898."

"So if she killed The Master, doesn't that make you The Master of Aurelius now?"

"Yep."

"Who are you?" Buffy asked. It obvious that this vampire knew her husband but that he didn't know about Angel's Soul.

"Well, Slayer, this is Simon. He's an older brother of mine."

"Heard she killed Darla."

"Heard wrong. She got too possessive. I staked her myself. She wouldn't leave me alone after I tried to leave her," Angel said.

Simon grinned, "You were always her favorite, Angelus, The Scourge of Europe. Her pride and joy." Then he started to talk to Buffy again, "No, Slayer, the Master wasn't your worst nightmare. Angelus is. Boys! It's dinner time and The Slayer is on the menu," Simon said as the ten minion vamps started to surround them. "Leave Angelus alone or he will kill you."

As all ten attacked Buffy, Angel jumped into the fight and helped her. The Vampire hunters watched in awe as Buffy and Angel fought the vampires as one. Within minutes, Angel and Buffy had deposed of the vamps and Angel had Buffy from behind and in front of Simon. Not only had he morphed into his vampire features, but he had pulled back Buffy's hair so that his Mark showed. "She bears _my_ Mark, Simon! She's _Mine!_ You dare order an attack on _my __**Mate**_?!" Angel growled. Buffy took advantage of Simon's shocked state and planted a stake into his heart and he turned to dust.

"Well that was fun," Buffy said. When she turned around, she saw the gang had their cross bows trained on Angel. "Guys?"

"He's a vamp," Gunn said.

"He has a Soul! He's good. He fights for our side; the side of good."

"What was the Big Guy talking about?"

"Put down the crossbows and we'll tell you," Angel calmly said.

On the way back to Hank's house, Buffy and Angel told the gang about Angel's curse and how he now fights for the good side. The gang of vampire hunters weren't sure of Angel's intentions. For all they knew, he was just pretending. They kept a close eye on him. One of them discreetly trained a crossbow on him at all times the whole way back to Hank's house. When they got back to the house, they all had cake and ice cream, while Angel and Buffy explained everything.

A few minutes after the vampire gang left, the phone rang. "Oh hi, Willow," Hank said after he answered the phone, "Sure. She's right here." He called out to Buffy and said, "Buffy, it's Willow."

Buffy got up from the couch and walked over to the phone and said, "Hi, Wills, what's up?"

"Buffy, it's Miss Calendar. Devlin is back in town. He…he…Buffy, he killed her! He killed Miss Calendar!" Willow said breaking into sobs.

"Are you sure?" Buffy said as grief started to set in and she went pale.

"Yes. There was a note to you that said, 'Soon, Slayer' and it was signed 'Devlin'," Willow said through tears.

"Oh my God," Buffy said as she dropped the phone.

Angel was beside her before she fell to the floor. He caught her and then picked up the phone. "Willow, what's wrong? … Oh no. We're on our way back. Don't let Giles out of your sight! If I know him, he'll go after Devlin himself. Do you have any idea where they are?...OK. We'll be there in half an hour or so…Thanks, Will. Bye."

"Angel, what's going on?" Hank asked.

"I'm sorry, Hank. We have to go. Jenny was killed. We have to get back home before Giles does something to get himself killed."

"Yes, of course. Drive safely," Hank said concerned.

"I will," Angel assured him. Then he turned to Buffy and using their telepathic bond, said, "_Come on, Muirnín, we are going to go find them and deal with this now."_ Buffy gave a slight nod as a tear ran down her face.

Angel drove as fast as he could and made it to Giles' condo in 45 minutes. "Giles," Angel yelled as he rushed inside leaving Buffy sitting inside the car. "Giles!" Angel noticed that Giles' good weapons were missing. "Damn!" When got back outside Buffy and the car were gone. _Damn It, woman! You just couldn't wait for me, could you? _He would have to walk or run.

* * *

Buffy arrived at the crypt just in time to see Giles pour gasoline all around it. Then he went inside before she could stop him. She rushed inside to find Giles on the floor unconscious and Devlin standing above him. Buffy kicked him in the face and Devlin tried to hit her back but she ducked. They fought as the crypt started to be engulfed in flames. Buffy was about to stake Devlin when he pointed out that Giles was about to burn. //She ran over to Giles and Buffy woke Giles and got him to his feet, and she supported him as they make their way from the building. They both exited the building coughing from the smoke. Giles pushed Buffy away from him.

"Why did you come here?! This wasn't your fight!" Giles shouted.

She punched him in the jaw, and he spun and fell to the pavement. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!" She demanded to know as she began to cry and crouched down to hug him. He cried and hugged her back. "You can't leave me. I can't do this alone."

The next day at school, Willow walked into Miss Calendar's class room and said, "Hi. Principal Snyder asked me to fill in for Miss. Calendar... u-until the new computer science teacher arrives. So I'm just gonna stick to the lesson plan she left."

She walked around to the front of the desk and looked over the books and things that were there.

Willow put down her own books, and in the process nudged a few books aside a little. As a result a yellow disk that Jenny had set next to the books gets pushed off of the edge. It fell between the desk and the small filing cabinet next to it. It hit the floor and spun around a few times before coming to rest leaning against the side of the cabinet.//

* * *

The next afternoon, //Giles knelt down beside a gravestone that read "Jennifer Calendar" and laid some flowers on her grave. He looked at her name on the headstone for a moment before standing back up. Buffy was there next to him.

"In my years as... Watcher... I've buried... too many people. But Jenny was the first I've loved." Giles sadly said.//

* * *

Angel walked into the library with Buffy that evening. "Well, well, well, I sure hope that you had _fun_ while Miss Calendar was being killed. If you were here, she still would be alive!" Xander accused Buffy.

Buffy just stood there. Xander had just confirmed what she had thought. She had spent all night crying and telling Angel how it was her fault. Angel had tried to comfort her and reassure that it wasn't it her fault and that no one blamed her. Buffy finally cried herself to sleep. Angel was stunned into silence when Xander said that. And what went on next didn't help him keep control of the demon any.

"Xander! It was her dad's birthday. She had to go see him!" Willow rebuked Xander.

"Well she's the Slayer, she can't just leave town like that!" Xander yelled back.

Buffy turned around and without saying a word, ran out of the library. "Harris, if you don't shut your mouth right now I will do it for you!" Angel warned as he slipped into his vampire face. "She already blames herself enough for this when it isn't her fault! You have no idea how this has effected her." Angel grabbed Xander by the throat and continued, "Don't you _**ever, ever**_ jump down my Mate's throat again, or I _**will **_rip yours out! You want to blame somebody, fine! Blame me! You don't blame her for wanting to see her father for any reason! You can't possibly know that Buffy got only a little bit of sleep last night. She cried herself to sleep and then she cried in her sleep. _**I**_ was the one who held her all night while she cried. Don't you _**ever**_blame her again!" Angel then let go of Xander and walked out of the library to go find his Mate.

Xander rubbed his throat as he watched Angel leave. Willow spoke up never taking her eyes away from the swinging doors. "He has a point. It's not her fault." And then she looked at Xander and chastised him again, "And you had no right to yell at her that way."

* * *

By the time Angel had caught up with Buffy, he looked human. "Buffy, Baby, he was wrong; it wasn't your fault at all. We all thought that they were out of town and no longer a threat to Sunnydale."

"It doesn't matter. He's right. I'm The Slayer. I can't just take off like that."

"Leannán, it's not like you took off and no one knew where you were. Giles even told you to go see your father for his birthday," he sighed. "Xander has no idea what he is talking about." Buffy didn't say anything, just kept walking while trying to dry her tears. Her Mate walked beside her. He was careful not to touch her bare skin while he argued with himself, _Fuck, Soul Boy! What do I say?_

_Tell her that he didn't mean it,_ the Soul replied.

_He did mean it! I saw it in his fucking eyes. I'm not going to lie for that bastard._

_Damn it, Angelus, he's grieving and he didn't mean it._

_I'm not going to lie to my Mate!_

_Hey! You asked me for help. And I'm telling you what I would say. I really think that it was just the grief talking._

_That doesn't excuse him._

_No, it doesn't._

_I swear, Soul Boy, he talks to her like that again, and I will drain him._

_Trust me, I feel the same way._

_The problem with that is, you won't follow through with it. I will. While the scent of her pain is intoxicating, I should be the only one to bring her pain, so just tell me what to do to convince her that it's not her fault, _he then heard laughter back in the corner of his mind.

_You ought to know that you can't convince Buffy of anything__._ After a moment's silence, Angelus heard, _Remind her about Devlin always competing with me._

"Leannán, listen to me. Devlin has always tried to be me, even when we were human. And after Darla turned him for me, the competition continued. Matter of fact, I taught him to zero in on one victim and then slowly kill off the people closest to the person he had zeroed in on. I taught him that when he killed someone close to his target to make sure that his target or someone closer to the target was the first person to find the body. It sounds like that is exactly what he did. He killed Jenny, knowing that she was close to you. Then he put her in Giles' bed knowing that Giles was even closer to Jenny than you and he was closer to you than Jenny was. He is still trying to be me! So, if anyone is to blame besides Devlin himself, it's me."

"If I had just been here, I could have stopped it."

"Bullshit! If we were here, there is no way of knowing that we would have been close enough to Jenny to save her. We don't know where she was killed! She wasn't killed in or near Giles' apartment. That much I know. She was deliberately placed and arranged in Giles' bed. I saw it, Leannán. If I didn't know any better, I would have said that I did it."

Buffy stopped and looked him in the eyes and he knew that no matter what he said she would always blame herself. He sighed and as he looked passed his Mate, he saw an empty alley. _Well if I can't get her to stop blaming herself, maybe I can make her forget about it._

_Wait, not here! _

_No, not here – in the alley, Dumbass. Oh, fuck! You've rubbed off on me! Shut the fuck up and don't say anything, _he then pulled his Mate to him in an embrace. While gently but passionately kissing her, he backed her into the empty, dark ally. He backed her up against one of the buildings' wall and before Buffy knew it; her skirt was hiked up around her hips.

"Ow—Angel—wh-what are you—?"

He turned her and slammed her back against the wall. Buffy's head hit the bricks and she saw stars. "Angel…?! You're hurting me!"

"I feel your pain, lover—" he growled as his hands roamed her body. "It's intoxicating…" he whispered, nipping at her throat.

"Wh-what…?" Buffy started to say, and then he kissed her—hard.

His tongue swept into her mouth as he took her lips in a dominating kiss that made Buffy's knees weak. His hands roamed every inch of her body, pausing at each of her erogenous zones. Nipping at her bottom lip, he shoved her skirt up. "Need to touch you—make you mine," he grunted as he gripped her silk panties.

Buffy writhed against him. "Angel—what? Why—? Oh, yes…" she moaned as his fingers probed the apex of her thighs.

"Mmmmm," he purred and with one tear he ripped the lace thong off her body. "There…" he whispered as his hand went between her thighs again. "That's better…isn't it?"

Buffy moaned low and deep. "Yes, Angel …" she gasped.

He slid one long finger inside her and rubbed his thumb against her clitoris. "That's it baby—come for me," he growled against her neck.

Buffy panted harshly as he worked his magic. "Yes!" she cried as her belly tightened and she felt the first sizzling tingles of climax. "Angel!" she cried out softly as she was flooded with wave after wave of mind numbing sensations.

He chuckled huskily, obviously pleased. "That was just the preshow…" he murmured hoarsely, lifting her higher and shoving her roughly against the wall.

She tightened her thighs around him and gripped his shoulders to steady herself. "Angel," she groaned when he entered her in one hard thrust.

"Oh, baby," he panted as he bent his knees and lunged upward. When he was completely seated inside her sweet young body with her legs tight around his hips, he leaned back to look into her passion-flushed face and smirked. "You're mine, Buff," he growled as his eyes flashed gold. "Mine!" he whispered, thrusting forward and finally making her his too.

He set a brutal pace but Buffy welcomed his aggression right then. She needed this. She keened loudly as he pounded into her, scraping the soft skin of her back against the rough brick…

"Angel—yes! Angel—pleasepleaseplease!!" she cried as he thrust into her, her cries getting louder, the rougher he got.

His hand went between their bodies and found that sensitive nub that ruled her pleasure zone. He twisted and petted it as he moved in and out of her tight, wet heat. Her hot, strong inner walls fluttered around his cock. "Yes…" he groaned as her muscles clamped down on him and she got so tight…"Fuck!" he cursed as his eyes rolled. "That's it—come for me—yeah, baby…"

The orgasm hit her like a runaway freight train, sweeping her along a path of mindless release. She screamed, uncaring if anyone was within a mile of the alley at this point. Buffy wrapped her arms and legs tighter around him; she clung to him as she reveled in the sensations. She was flying; soaring out over a cliff—free and her whole body felt like electric shocks were racing through it. She wanted to just die—it was that good.

"Angel—I love you…" she sobbed as the spasms washed over her, making her shudder and clutch him desperately.

It was too much—his face morphed and the demon visage slipped over his handsome human face. He bent his knees, giving him more power in his thrusts as he set a frantic pace towards his own relief.

"Mine…" he purred/growled over and over again as he tilted her head to the side and suckled at his mark.

She whimpered and he lifted his head, golden eyes met hazel and he smirked as he saw her surrender.

"You belong to me, too," he whispered roughly and buried his fangs in her neck just as deeply as his cock was buried inside her. Her blood hit his system with all the subtlety of a sledge hammer. His knees buckled and it was only the wall that kept them upright. "Holy—fuck—Buff!" he cried as his whole body was wracked with pleasure. Buffy—sex with Buff and her blood. It was a demon's version of Nirvana and he came with a roar that would have awoken the dead—if this wasn't Sunnydale, the Hellmouth and capitol of the un-dead!

"Wow…" she whispered as she slid slowly to the ground.

He leered at her. "Wow—that's all you have to say?" He chuckled huskily as he kissed her lips. "Oh, come on—that was more than 'wow', lover—you can't tell me Angel ever made you come like that?" he asked, giving her a smirk that twisted his lips and made him look—crueler somehow.

"Angelus…" she breathed softly.

"In the flesh—or in this instance—in YOUR flesh…"

* * *

Buffy looked into her Mate's eyes and asked, "How long have you been in control?"

Angelus sighed, "Since Harris yelled at you."

Buffy nodded then asked, "Is he hurt?"

"No, he's not hurt."

"What did you do?"

"I told him that if he ever talked to you like that again, I'd kill him," Angelus said deliberately leaving out the fact he had also grabbed her friend by the neck. He didn't even allow it to enter into his mind, because he knew that she would be able to hear it through their bond. They were now holding hands.

Buffy nodded again and then said, "Don't do that. He's my friend."

"He's a pampas ass that needs to be taught a lesson," Angelus countered and then sighed. "So, what do we do now?"

"Well, what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean are you going to go around killing, maiming, and torturing those that I'm supposed to protect?"

Angelus thought about how to best answer her question. No doubt he wanted to do those things. "If I do, would you stake me? Could you stake me?"

Buffy let go of his hand, looked down to the ground and then looked back into his eyes and said, "I don't want to, but if I have to, I would." _I hope._

"So, you're saying that I can't torture, maim, and kill innocent humans?"

"Any humans." Angelus rolled his eyes and Buffy continued, "The only human blood you get is mine." Buffy laughed and said, "Don't look so surprised. You just drank from me not five minutes ago."

"I'm just surprised to hear you say it is all."

"So, what are going to do?"

"Let's see, I have two choices. 1. Go out maiming, torturing, and killing anyone I want just for fun, and possibly get staked by my own Mate, or 2.,"Angelus took her hand in his and continued, "Have Slayer blood anytime I want and add to that fact that The Slayer is my Marked and Bonded Mate….huuummm," he pretended to think about it for a minute. "….I think that 2 is the better choice," Angelus smirked.

Buffy smiled, then remembered something, "Oh and Angelus…"

"Yes, Leannán?"

"You will be faithful to me."

Angelus sighed and said, "Yes, Leannán."

"I want to hear you say it."

"I will be faithful to you."

"And the no killing…"

"I will not maim, torture, or kill any innocent human."

"Any human," Buffy amended.

"Buffy, Baby, that I can't promise. If a human poses a threat to you or anyone that you or I consider family then I won't hold back. I will protect our family, Leannán."

Buffy thought about this and said, "OK, I can see that. If something ever happens that anyone who is a part of our family, our friends, or I am in danger from a human and you are around, you can do what you have to do to protect us. But only do what have to do. Which means if it doesn't call for deadly force, then you don't get to kill."

"Agreed," Angelus said after hesitating. Buffy pulled his head down to her and captured his lips with hers for a passionate kiss before they continued on their way. "Uh, Leannán, your car is back at the school. Are you sure you want to walk home?"

"Oh. Right. I needed to get out of there and I didn't think to drive the car."

"Well, you really shouldn't have been driving anyway. I don't think that you could have seen through the tears," Angelus said compassionately.

"True."

"Baby, when did you realize that the soul wasn't in control?"

"Oh, I started to suspect the first time you called me 'Baby'," Buffy smiled. "But I really didn't know until you had walked beside me for 15 minutes and never touched me. I figured that you didn't want me to know it was you." After a minute, Buffy asked a question of her own, "What happened to your soul?"

"It's still here. I can hear him. When Xander yelled at you, he was stunned and I pushed him aside and took over."

"So, just because he was stunned you could take over?"

"No. Ever since the Bonding Ceremony I've been able to come forward more. We used to be blended together; just my memories were his and his conscience was mine. But after the Bonding Ceremony, we started to separate. It's like two people in here now," Angelus said tapping his head.

"Like a duel personality?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"So, you two, can give each other control?"

Angelus shrugged. He was enjoying his time with his Mate and he didn't want to give it up, but he asked, "You want me to give control back to the soul now?"

Buffy sensed his apprehension and smiled and said, "I'd like to spend some time with you if that's okay."

Angelus smiled and said, "You don't need to ask if it's okay or not, Leannán. I like being the one in control."

"Yeah, well, I will want to spend time with the soul in control, too, you know."

"I know," Angelus sighed. He knew that sooner or later she would want the soul. But things were working out better than he thought they would. She wanted to spend time with him, too.

Then something occurred to her, "Angelus, how did Devlin get into Giles' apartment?"

"What do you mean?"

"You said that he put her in Giles' bed, how did he get in Giles' apartment without an invitation?"

Angelus sighed he had hoped he wouldn't have to explain this to her, but he should have known that he would have to, "There are some vampires that will hire other demons to go into people's homes to either drive them out or do other things. The only way for Devlin to be able to have Giles find Jenny in his bed was for him to hire a demon that didn't need an invitation to do it for him."

"Oh." Buffy knew the implications of what her Mate just said but didn't want to dwell on the fact that her Mate might have hired a demon to go into someone's home to scare them out of a safe place just so he could kill them. Nor did she want that fact confirmed. So she didn't ask if Angelus had ever done anything like that. It wasn't recorded in the Watcher's Diaries or in Angelus' personal journals that she had read. And if it happened, she really didn't want to know about it.

_

* * *

_

_A/N: __**Thank you to Maquisleader**__**for the permission and idea of Angel being able to hear Angelus in his head and using a different font for Angelus.**__From now on __Angelus' thoughts will be in italics and __underlined__. Go to my webpage (when I get it updated) to see different fonts for Angelus' and Angel's thoughts, but make sure that your computer has these fonts installed. __**Angelus may get out of character, but please remember that this is a different universe and in this universe he fell in love with Buffy and by going through the Bonding Ceremony, Buffy showed that she love all of Angel, not just his soul. Angelus knows this and therefore his actions are different than what they would have been in the show. **_

_  
Irish Gaelic Translations __.com/  
__**Muirnín **__definition... __**n sweetheart m4  
Leannán**__ definition... __**n lover m1;**_

_**If you can beta a long chapter within a week's time (there are a couple of chapters in Book 2 that are 30 plus pages these chapters I will ask for 2 week return), and would love to beta for the last chapter of Book 1 and the following Books, please let me know in your review. (An upside to beta'ing is that you get to read the chapter as soon as I finish with it and you get to see the chapter evolve. You also get to help me make the chapter better. When I have writer's block, I ask my beta's for ideas before I ask anyone else.)**_

_**I do have typos and I need someone with good American English grammar/spelling skills. I also would like some one to make sure that I have the characters in character. I know that Angelus will be out of character in some parts due to the way that this universe is set up, but I don't want him to be any more out of character than necessary to make the story work.**_

_**Thanks to all who review/give feedback!!!**_

_**{{hugs}}**_

_**Mac

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	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**_Author's Note: Some of the dialogue in the following scene is a direct quote from the transcript _****_//Becoming Part II// _****_(Buffy: The Vampire Slayer Season 2 episode 22) written by Joss Whedon himself. To make the scene fit into this universe, I had to change some of the dialogue. The parts that are _****_//surrounded by slashes//_****_, are from the transcript that Joss Whedon wrote._**

**_Thanks to the BETA TEAM: _****_ SerenityAngel44, M_****_ichebabyblue, CarlyJx, Ekimmuh, and Pheonix Evans. Carly Jx wrote the last fight scene between Devlin and Buffy. The whole beta team contributed and had some ideas that I kept. I could not have done this chapter with out you, ladies! And that goes for anyone who has ever beta'd this story!_**

* * *

A couple of weeks after Jenny Calendar was buried, Kendra came back into town. Her watcher had sent her to Sunnydale because he thought that there was a great evil about to arise. During one of Buffy's tests, Devlin sent a minion on a suicide mission. The newly created vamp was to walk into Buffy's classroom and tell her to meet him at the graveyard at sundown or more will die. As soon as she finished her rather dramatic smokey entrance and short threatening message, she burst into flames and then she was nothing but ashes.

However, in the library, Kendra, Angel, and Giles were researching Acathla. They had learned that Devlin had stolen the demon statue and was planning on awaking him to bring Hell on Earth. They were trying to find a way to stop Hell coming to Earth. Angel looked over to the door that had just swung open; a man with a filthy suit had swayed into the room. Unlike Giles and Kendra who were engrossed in books and notes, Angel took full notice of the new man, especially when he showed his demonic face. With two punches and a kick to the face, Angel had the vampire pinned down on the table with a stake hovering above his head. Giles frowned as the result of the fight left all his books on the ground.

"Wait! Wait! I have news! Her father is in danger! Master Devlin sent some others to L.A. to kill him," the vampire said quickly hoping that his life would be spared.

_Great! Just great! Divide and conquer. You know this is a trap__,_Angelus said inside Angel's head.

_Yep._

_But we still have to make sure her father is protected._

_Yep._

"Why are you telling us this?" Giles was automatically suspicious of the vamp.

But Giles was too late in asking his question because Kendra threw Angel out of the way to stake the newly risen vampire. Angel only looked at the other vampire slayer before walking out of the door.

"Where are you going, Angel?" Kendra asked. She was mystified as to why he would be leaving at a time like this.

"To L.A."

"It could be a trap," she said astonished that the souled vampire believed the soulless vampire that was now dust.

"Probably is," Angel shrugged. He didn't care if it was, just as long as Buffy's father was alright, because he knew it would kill her if anything happened to him or any other member of her family.

"Then why are you going?" Kendra asked perplexed.

Giles rolled his eyes at the second slayer. He understood exactly where and why Angel was going. As a Master Vampire, it was his duty to see to it that his family was protected and that included the family of his Mate.

"We can't take the chance that he was telling the truth. I have to go and make sure. I'll be back in a few hours," Angel said as left the library. As soon as he got into the underground tunnels, he was hit over the head and knocked unconscious.

"That was too easy," Devlin said as he had two of his minions carry his old friend back to his lair.

* * *

When Buffy got out of class, she went to the library to let her husband and watcher know about her "visitor". "Where's Angel?" she asked after looking around and finding that he was nowhere to be seen.

"We got word that someone was in danger and he went to protect them," Giles said cryptically purposely leaving out crucial information and glaring at Kendra. She understood the silent command to not tell Buffy just who was threatened.

"Oh. Well, I got a 'word' too. My 'word' said that I was to meet Devlin in the cemetery at sundown or more will die. So, I'm going to the cemetery tonight at sundown and I'm going to finish this! Kendra, if everyone stays here in the library, would you stay here and protect them? Just in case this is some kind of trap."

"Of course."

"Buffy are you sure this is wise?" Giles asked.

"I won't let him kill anymore innocent people," Buffy said before taking her crossbow and leaving. Giles knew when to fight with Buffy and when not to and this was one of those times where she wouldn't listen to anyone but _maybe_ Angel.

* * *

At sundown, Buffy went to meet Devlin in the cemetery. During the fight with Devlin, he let on that she fell for the trap and that the real fight wasn't between them right then. A light bulb went off in her head and she realized that the trap wasn't for her, but for her friends. There were no other vamps around. They were all at the school killing her friends. Panic-stricken, she ran full speed back to the school.

While she was gone, Dru and her gang of minions, walked into the library and put Willow in a coma, broke Xander's arm, kidnapped Giles and killed Kendra. When Buffy got back to the library, she took in everything that she saw. She was kneeling next to Kendra when the police arrived. They tried to arrest her, but she ran.

* * *

Angel came to and looked around the room he was in. He saw Dru and Devlin talking to Giles. Giles didn't look too good. He looked as if he was being tortured, though knowing Devlin and Dru that was probably true. He didn't have any idea how long he had been out, but he could sense that the sun was down. How had he been knocked out for so long? He didn't know and right now it didn't matter. The important thing was to get Giles and get him to a hospital. He watched in horror as he saw Giles call Dru "Jenny". He wanted to tell Giles it was a trick. Dru was playing mind games with him. That's when he realized that he was chained up and gagged. The chains he found were too strong for him to break. They must've been magically enhanced. The gag he found had left a slight odor to it, that's must've been what kept him knocked out for so long. It had been drenched in some type of knock out fluid. Weather it was magic or just human chemicals didn't matter. If he was breathing, then even human chemicals, such as chloroform, would have affected him.

He then heard Devlin ask Giles what was the key to opening the stone statue. And in Giles' exhausted, hypnotized haze, he gave the answer, Angel's blood. It had to be the blood of Angel. He and Giles knew all it would take was a drop of his blood to open the stone statue. The stone statue needed the real thing, not a copycat. Angelus' intentions had been truly evil, while Devlin wanted nothing but recognition and to be like someone else. Upon hearing that he needed Angelus' blood, Devlin, went ballistic and started to destroy things that were within reach. He then turned on Angel and realized that his old friend was awake.

"If it weren't for the fact that I want you to see the death of the Slayer, I would dust you right now!" he irrationally yelled out. Then he calmed down, "Then, again, I couldn't wake up our buddy, Acathla, here, now could I?" He smirked, looked at some of his minions, and then commanded, "Get him cleaned up and ready for the ritual!"

Angel watched in horror as Dru continued to use her mind control trick against Giles, he couldn't help but feel responsible, after all, Dru was like she was because of him.

Devlin found pleasure in the horror on Angel's face, it was what he had been waiting to see for more than a century and a half – ever since he realized that he could never live up to their sire's expectations because Angelus always seemed to surpass those same expectations.

_Let me at 'em, Angel! Come on!_ Angelus begged.

_NO! You and Devlin together again? I can't take the chance that the temptation would be too much for you._

Angelus laughed inside Angel's head, _You've got to be kidding me! He wants to kill my Mate and you think I'd join him?_

_If you can convince him to let you turn her or keep her, then yes, you would. And I can't take that chance._

Angelus pictured himself rolling his eyes at Angel's comment. He had tried to take over, but whatever was making the soul weak, was making him weak as well. He just couldn't forcibly take over. The last time it had been so weird the way it happened, and he knew that Angel wouldn't be caught off guard again. They had yet voluntarily given control to the other one. Angel took control when Angelus was in a sex induced exhausted deep sleep. And Angel had not let himself get into that deep of sleep since. Except for this time, but he had been drugged and that affected the demon as well.

Angel knew his demon, and even though Angelus said that he wouldn't join Devlin, he knew that given the right incentive, he would. Sure, Buffy would be upset with him, and he knew it, but he would turn her or something to convince her that it was alright for them to be with Devlin. Just as he knew if they could ensoul Devlin he would do it. Just to have his oldest friend back. The soul wanted his childhood best friend back and the demon wanted his best friend back as well. They just happened to be the same person. One with a soul and one a demon. Angel just couldn't take the chance that an opportunity would present itself for the two demons to wreck havoc on the world once again.

* * *

While Buffy was trying to escape a police officer, Spike came up from behind and knocked the officer out and then said, "Slayer, I came to make a truce with you."

"Truce?" Buffy asked disbelievingly.

"Yeah. I'll tell you where Devlin is holding your Watcher if you let me and Dru go."

"Yeah because your just going to tell me aren't you," Buffy said sarcastically. She had been tricked before, she wasn't about to be tricked again. Spike only shrugged. "Why should I trust you?"

"Right now you don't have any other choice. He's torturing him right now to get the information he needs to awaken Acathla."

"I thought you wanted the world to end," she raised an eyebrow at him.

//"Oh we talk big. Vampires I mean. But truth is, I like this world. It's got lots of people, walking around like happy meals on legs. The truth is, I want Dru back. The way that she acts around, him…// He's so much like Angel. I was glad when Angel left, I had Dru all to myself. Now, Devlin is trying to be Angel and Dru is going along with it. //I want her back the way she was before// Devlin //came around."

"You're pathetic." He punched her in the face. She punched him right back. "I lost a friend tonight!"

"I wasn't in on that raiding party."

"And I may lose more! The whole earth may be sucked into Hell, and you want my help 'cause your girlfriend's a big ho? Well, let me take this opportunity to _*not*_ care."

"I can't fight them both alone, and neither can you!// And Devlin kidnapped your Mate this afternoon." Spike looked Buffy's disbelieving face, "Yeah he's got Angel and he knows that he can't take the both of you. Angel is the one he wants to hurt the most, so he arranged to have him think that your father was in danger and when Angel did what was expected and left, Devlin, knocked him out and had him carried back to the lair so that he could kill you and make Angel watch. Found a magical chloroform to keep him asleep and weak."

//Buffy punched him hard in the jaw, making him flinch. He straightened back up and felt his jaw, checking for blood.

"I hate you." Buffy said venomously.

"And I'm all you've got."

The police officer begins to stir on the hood of the car. Buffy looked down briefly, "All right. Talk."

Spike turned to the officer, "I'm just gonna kill this guy."

Buffy cleared her throat loudly. Spike faced her. "Oh. Right."

Buffy raised her eyebrows at him, "Let's get inside."//

* * *

Buffy saw her mom's car in the driveway and knew that her mom would be waiting for her inside, "Mom, I need you to call the hospital and see how Willow and the others are. They got hurt tonight."

"Buffy are you alright? The police were here and at my house. They think you killed someone."

"No, I didn't. But she was a friend of mine. She was killed by a vampire, Mom. And they have Angel and Giles. I've got to go save them."

//Buffy turned to Spike "All right, talk. What's the deal?"

"Simple. You let me and Dru skip town, I help you kill// Devlin//."

"Forget about Drusilla. She doesn't walk."

"There's no deal without Dru."

"She killed Kendra."

Spike was surprised, "Dru bagged a Slayer?" He chuckled, "She didn't tell me!" He turned to Joyce, smiled and said, "Hey, good for her!" Buffy gave him a look and he lost the smile.

"Though not from your perspective, I suppose."//

Buffy didn't like having to let Dru go, but what other choice did she have to get Angel and Giles back. One was her husband and her marked and bonded Mate; the other her watcher, but he was much more than just a watcher. He was like a father to her. Just as much or more than a father than her biological father had been in the past couple of years. //Buffy, with contempt said, "I can't believe I invited you into my house. Be ready to back me up when I make my move." Spike walked around her toward the door. "If Angel or Giles dies..." Spike stopped and faced her and Buffy continued, "she dies." //

"I told you, Angel's not gonna die. Devlin wants to make Angel watch as he tortures and kills you." Buffy just stared at him and \\he gave her a final stare and headed out the door.//

"Buffy, Xander says Willow's awake."

"Let me talk to him," Buffy said as she took the phone from her mother.

* * *

Devlin had several vamps holding Angel down. He took out a syringe and evilly grinned at Angel, "This will keep you calm, so that I can perform the ritual. You were always stronger than me. Even as a human. I have to make sure that I can do this without you overpowering us." He then stuck the syringe into Angel's bicep. Angel then slumped in his captives' arms as the world went dark.

* * *

Buffy strutted into the factory with a sword in hand, she was more then ready. The first thing the young slayer did was slice the sword through a vampire's neck, capturing the full attention of Devlin. Angel was being held by several minions, each using all of their strength to keep the vampire with a soul down. Devlin smiled as he reached for the knife and cut Angel's hand and forced it around the sword hilt and pulled it out of the statue. Angel tried to refuse but Buffy could see he wasn't as strong as his usual self, they must have given him something. Buffy ran at Devlin with her sword whipping the air as Spike quickly knocked an unsuspecting Dru out and then took off.

Devlin was an experienced fighter with a lot of strength and knowledge but Buffy was the slayer, the vampire slayer. Devlin threw numerous punches at Buffy but she blocked them all until he threw one last punch that she caught in her fist. Not letting go of the vampire's hand she swung her sword around and cut his head of, making his body turn to dust.

"That's what you get for messing with my husband!" Buffy spat at the pile of dust. "Let that be lesson for the rest of you," she shouted to what was left of the minions who were running to the exit.

Xander walked in right as she was swinging the sword to take off Devlin's head. He saw Giles and went over to him and got him to his feet. He half carried, half walked Giles out of the factory.

Angel saw it first; the small vortex, that opened as the stone statue opened his mouth. Buffy then saw it a split second later. "How do we stop it?"

"_We_ don't. I do. It needs my blood. Just like it needed my blood to open, it needs my blood to close." Before Buffy could stop him, he picked up the sword that Devlin used and sliced his healed hand, coated the blade with his blood, and then stabbed Acathla where a human heart would be. The statue turned back to stone and the vortex disappeared. Angel and Buffy then kicked the statue over and it shattered into dust. Angel held Buffy to his side as they walked out of the factory.

* * *

While they were taking Giles to the hospital, Buffy told Angel what all had happened, "Angel, Snyder expelled me. I didn't do anything wrong and I got expelled."

"Don't worry about it, Muirnín. We'll figure something out. Once the police find out that it wasn't you, then Snyder will have no choice but to let you back in."

"Yeah, but I'm going to miss my last two exams."

"I'm sure they'll let you make them up, once all of this is cleared up." Angel tried to reassure her.

* * *

After they had dropped Giles off at the hospital and found out that he was going to be ok, Angel took Buffy home. On the way home, Buffy remarked, "There, for a minute, when I saw the portal open, I thought I had been too late. I'm just glad that you were able to stop Acathla."

"I didn't stop Acathla." Angel confessed in a confused tone, he was still trying to get his head around what had happened.

"What do you mean, Angel? I was there, I saw you."

"I wasn't in control. Devlin, drugged me, and somehow, Angelus was strong enough to push through. It was Angelus who stopped Acathla. After the portal was closed, he just stepped back."

"Stepped back? As in voluntarily let you have control again?" Buffy raised her brow, this wasn't like Angelus at all.

Angel nodded, "Yeah. I don't understand it. But I thought you should know. I just didn't want the others to know."

"I understand. They wouldn't understand this. Better to not let them know that Angelus can take control. They might go over react and stake you and then where would I be?"

_It would drive her insane if she didn't take her own life and you know it. I've seen it happen. That mad man back in 1800, who begged for death, but couldn't do it himself…Darla, had said that a vamp had Marked him as a Mate and she was killed by a slayer and because he refused to take his own life, he went mad. _Angelus replayed the memory for Angel. When Angelus had asked Darla how she knew that the man's Mate was dust by a slayer's hand, she had told him that she knew the vamp and that she had recognized the Mark on the man's neck. It was another vamp that the Master had sired, one of her sisters by the name of Tamar. Tamar had crossed paths with a slayer two years prior and had been dusted.

Angel remembered that Darla wouldn't have mercy on the man. She thought him too weak and thought he should wallow in his misery. Angelus just didn't see the point in taking the man's life. It was too easy. No fun or art in it at all.

"Angel?" Buffy asked as they walked into the mansion.

"Yes?"

"What does this mean?" Buffy asked quietly.

It took a few minuets for Angel to reply, "To be honest with you Buffy, I really don't know."

"Can we trust him?"

"I want to say yes, I want to be able to say that he won't do anything wrong, he'll act like a good little soldier, but it's Angelus, he's not very predictable."

"But he saved us, he saved the world. He could have done nothing but he didn't."

"Can I tell you something?" Angel bowed his head, not knowing if he really wanted to tell his love this.

"You can tell me anything, you know that."

"I…He… I don't know which one of us did but one of us for a split second wanted the world to go to Hell, we didn't give a damn about saving the world or anyone in it…."

Angel was cut off by Buffy who pressed her lips to his. "Shh, it doesn't matter if you wanted to; the point is that you did do something. Sometimes I wake up in the morning and wonder what I'm fighting for; I wonder why I'm out risking my life for people who don't know anything about vampires or demons."

"But I don't know which one of us was thinking that. What if it was me, Buffy? I'm meant to be the one with the soul, the good of the bad."

"It doesn't matter Angel, we all wake up and think 'What's the point?'"

"Buffy?" Buffy looked up at Angel's dark sad eyes, "What's the answer?"

"To why we fight? Because there are some things worth fighting for," Buffy smiled, so did Angel and for that night they both forgot about demons and vampires, about the creatures that live in the shadows, for one night they forgot about everything except each other.

* * *

"Are you sure this was the woman that killed Kendra?" The DA asked Xander, Willow, Cordelia, and Giles as he handed them a drawing of someone who looked similar to Drusilla, but with noticeable differences.

"No. That's not her. The nose is too big," Xander said.

"And the eyes are too close together," Cordelia said.

"And the hair longer," Willow said.

"And the chin needs to be more rounded," Giles said.

The police officer put down a drawing of Buffy and asked, "Is this her?"

"No. That's not her," Giles said angrily.

"What about this one?" He asked as he put down a drawing of Drusilla.

"That's her," Xander said as the others agreed with him.

"But this girl here, had something to do with it, right?" the DA said as he pointed to Buffy's picture.

"No. She wasn't even there," Giles said exasperated.

"But the police found her standing over the body!" the DA insisted.

"She must've come in after they kidnapped me then!" Giles insisted.

"Kendra was a friend of hers. If you found your friend dead would you not kneel down beside them?" Cordelia inquired annoyed.

"I know that this girl is guilty of something. The principal of the school even said that she was guilty," the DA persisted.

"Snyder wasn't even there!" Giles said.

"Snyder has a personal vendetta against Buffy," Xander said.

"Snyder is always looking for some way to expel Buffy. If he thought he could get away with it, he would make something up and expel her for that," Willow said.

"You're saying that this woman here, was the one who organized everything?" the DA pointed to the picture of Dru this time.

"Yes. She seemed to be in control," Giles sighed.

"If you are absolutely certain that this girl here, had nothing to do with the attack then, I'll have no choice but to drop the charges," the DA said.

"I'm absolutely certain that she had nothing to do with it," They all said in their separate interviews.

* * *

That afternoon, the charges against Buffy Anne Summers MacKenzie were dropped. Angel and Buffy filed a petition with the school board for her to be let back in school. While the school board was reviewing the case, Buffy had to go to summer school to make up the classes that she had failed from being expelled.

While Willow and Oz were cleaning out the computer lab, they found a computer disk that had fallen between the teacher's desk and a filing cabinet. When Willow put the disk into the computer, she saw that Miss Calendar had been working on the Soul Restoration Spell. She took the disk out and put it in her purse. It would be a nice keepsake to remember her favorite teacher by. It was too late to use it now.

Giles was trying to pull some strings himself, and found out that one of the school board members was a retired Watcher. He contacted him and explained that Buffy was the Slayer and that it was vampires that had caused all the trouble. The retired Watcher said that he would take care of it.

True to his word, the retired Watcher was able to get Buffy readmitted to school. He was even able to make Snyder administer Buffy's final exams to her. And Snyder received a reprimand for wrongfully jumping to a conclusion and expelling a student based on personal feelings and not facts. After all, there was no evidence that Buffy had ever fought on school grounds. Sure she had skipped a few classes, but overall, Buffy had been a good student the past semester; her grades had even come up considerably.

Buffy passed all of her exams with grades of eighty-eight percent and above. Thanks to tutoring sessions with Willow and Angel, she had all A's and B's on her report card for the second semester of her 11th grade year as Angel and Willow could put the material in terms where she could understand it.

* * *

_**A/N End Notes: Ok, I'm about to send off the first chapter of Book 2 to my new Beta Team who did such a wonderful job getting this chapter back to me so quickly. Hopefully, the updates to Book 2 will be a lot quicker than Book 1 was, but here we are finally at the end of Book 1. I have a lot things that are already written up and I can't wait to get feedback on them! And then there are also things that I'm having problems with. The re-write of Band Candy for one! (I think it's Chapter 5 of Book 2) But funny thing, I already have some of the chapters after that written up. But, there are things in Band Candy that have to take place. So I'm taking the lazy way out and using the script but changing it up a bit to fit my universe. **_

_**Thank you to all my reviewers and please don't for get leave feedback for this last chapter of Book 1. Book 2 will pick up where this Book ends.**_

_**Hugs,**_

_**Mac**_

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